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11 months ago
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Speaking at FIFA’s The Best Awards, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has come out in support of Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez, who finds himself under intense pressure at the club.
Things have not been going very well for Xavi and Barça in recent weeks and the misery compounded last night when they were hammered 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
It has put Xavi under intense scrutiny, with some sections of supporters even calling for him to be replaced as the manager of the first team.
Amidst all this, Guardiola has spoken in support of his former ward, saying that it is easy to point fingers at the coaches, and giving his full backing to the 43-year-old.
“My advice? It’s a final, we’ve lost but next week there’s another game, another competition. Give support to the people and at the end of the year they will decide what they have to decide,” said Guardiola.
“For my part, I want to give my unconditional support to Xavi and the players who have to take a step forward. They have already shown that they have level, that they have quality and this is very long,” he added.
The former Barcelona manager called for calm around the situation, stating: “There is a tendency to throw everything up in the air and this business is very difficult. Did we lose the final? Very well, congratulate the rival, learn from it and move on.”
Guardiola then insisted that it is also the players’ duty to step up and perform, and that the manager is often the target when a team does not do well.
“It is very easy to blame the coach. There are no secrets, the players have to step up. They are the ones who play, they have to step up. The focus is always on the coach when you lose,” he remarked.
“This business is only good if you win, but the players have to step up if they really believe in the coach. The players have quality, they have done it a thousand times and they will do it again.”
Source: Mundo Deportivo
