Madrid: FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez insisted on Monday that he has the support of the club despite a recent run of poor performances and results.
Xavi spoke to the press ahead of Tuesday’s must-win Champions League tie at home to Porto, which follows Barca’s disappointing 1-1 draw away to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, reports Xinhua.
The Rayo match followed a narrow win at home to Alaves, and a Champions League defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk, which makes Tuesday’s game so important.
Although Barca tops its group, with nine points from four games, the same as Porto, a defeat would leave the team with work to do in its last group match to avoid missing out on the knockout stage for a third consecutive year.
A third failure to reach the last 16 of the Champions League and the subsequent hit to Barca’s fragile economy, would put Xavi under the spotlight, but the former player insisted he maintains the support of club president, Joan Laporta and director of sport, Deco.
“I feel supported in every sense of the word by the club,” he responded when asked if he felt under pressure.
“I don’t feel as if I am on my own. I talk to the president every day and there is full confidence between us, and there is total confidence and friendship with Deco,” insisted Xavi.
Xavi also said he had “the support of my assistants, who are also my friends and my brother is among them. I also have the players behind me and I think things are going to work out.”
–IANS