Xavi Hernandez, the manager of Barcelona, was extremely dissatisfied after his team’s 1-1 draw with Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Saturday.
At Camp Nou, a goal from Marcos Alonso in the first half gave La Blaugrana an early advantage.
The former Chelsea left wingback, however, would go from hero to zero after he was called for a foul in the penalty area, allowing Joselu to equalize from the spot and secure a crucial point for the visiting team.
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Following the outcome, Barcelona remains in first place in La Liga, although the distance between them and Real Madrid in second place has been cut to just goal differential.
Why Xavi penalized the Barcelona team
The Barcelona team was originally supposed to have the day off on January 1 to ring in the New Year with their families, according to Diario AS.
The report goes on to say, however, that Xavi was unhappy with the outcome and summoned his team for a training session.
Xavi was ready to punish once more. The Catalan giants, who have finally resumed play following the 2022 World Cup, are in for a rather anxious few weeks.
Wednesday’s Copa del Rey match between Barcelona and Intercity will be followed by a trip to the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday for a La Liga match against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid. There will be another training session at the club on January 6—also known as King’s Day.
Normally, that training would have been canceled after the win over Intercity, but the players are fearful of having to report to work while their families are celebrating.
The team from Camp Nou will subsequently take a flight to Saudi Arabia to face Real Betis in a Spanish Super Cup match, according to Barca Blaugranes.
Barcelona fans upset with Xavi
Barcelona supporters have criticized Xavi for starting Marcos Alonso in the team’s local derby match against Espanyol.
According to Sports Brief, Alonso would join Andreas Christensen, Sergi Roberto, and Jordi Alba in a four-man defense.
After the Barcelona team announced its starting lineup for the pivotal game, fans vented their frustration on social media.