Getty Xavi has some decisions to make this summer.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez had a savage message for his players during their Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, December 8.
Goals from Thomas Muller and Leroy Sane saw the Bavarian giants take a 2-0 lead into the break at half-time in what was a must-win match for Barca. Xavi let fly at his players at half-time with a clear message, as reported by Toni Juanmarti at Diario Sport.
“Some of you don’t understand what it means to play for Barça,” he raged in the locker room at the Allianz Arena. Xavi also replaced Sergino Dest at half-time and brought on 19-year-old midfielder Nico Gonzalez for the second 45 minutes.
Barca went on to lose the game 3-0 which saw the team finish third in Group E and drop into the Europa League. Xavi admitted after the match he was “p***** off” after the defeat at seeing his team drop out of Europe’s top competition.
Xavi started off his tenure as Barca boss with wins over Villarreal and Espanyol and a draw against Benfica. However, the defeat to Bayern followed on from a 1-0 loss to Real Betis in La Liga that has left the team down in seventh place in the table.
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Xavi Makes Pact With Laporta?
Xavi spoke to Barcelona president Joan Laporta on the way back from Germany and promised the club chief his team would be able to compete with Europe’s best in one year’s time, as reported by Javier Miguel at Diario AS.
The two men analyzed the defeat and the team’s failure to make it through the Champions League group stages and both come to the conclusion that “right now Barcelona are not in a position to fight the best in Europe.”
Xavi and Laporta both believe the Barcelona squad has “deteriorated in an alarming and profound way” since the Catalan giants were last crowned European champions back in 2015.
Miguel adds that Xavi also told Laporta that he will “give his last drop of blood to take Barcelona back to the top,” while the club president “promised Xavi that the club will make every effort to rebuild.”
Ferran Torres In, Coutinho & Umtiti Out?
Xavi will hope he can start rebuilding his team in the January transfer window, although Barca’s difficult financial situation makes any signings difficult unless players leave the Camp Nou first.
Manchester City forward Ferran Torres remains Barca’s top target and the Catalans are “intensifying” their contact with the Premier League champions after their UCL exit, as reported by Diario Sport.
Xavi is “insisting” on the signing of Torres because he believes the Spain international “will help solve the team’s weaknesses in attack.” Barca only scored twice in six Champions League matches and have been hit by injuries to attackers including Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Aguero, and Martin Braithwaite.
Bringing in Torres will mean Barca have to offload players first. Center-back Samuel Umtiti and Brazil international Philippe Coutinho are mentioned as two players who could leave the club in January to make room on the wage bill for Torres.
READ NEXT: Barcelona CB Jokes With Lewandowski After UCL Exit [LOOK]