Xavi Hernández has confirmed the continuity of Mateu Alemany as Barcelona’s football director at the press conference prior to the match against Real Sociedad (Saturday, Camp Nou, 9:00 pm): “He has told us that he wants to be here. Mateu is an extraordinary person, a beastly worker. He has brought order, ”said the coach regarding the Barca executive who backed down from his decision to leave Barça and sign for Aston Villa coached by Unai Emery.
Alemany “stays, but tomorrow we’ll see what happens” – Xavi joked – while Jordi Cruyff will leave the post of sports director against Xavi’s will: “He’s leaving because he wants challenges and we’ll miss him. He is a trustworthy and very valid person, ”continued the coach, who has already decided on the list of casualties for next season:“ We have not yet spoken to the players, ”he specified. “But we are planning and moving. Everything is quite decided, if not 100% then 99%”.
The priority signing is a defensive pivot to replace Busquets. The preferred option is precisely Zubimendi, a Real player, “because he understands the game we like at Barça, he dominates with and without the ball; he is extraordinary in this position, ”said Xavi, aware in any case that the Barça club does not want to face the 60 million clause that the international midfielder trained by Imanol has. La Real will be Barça’s rival at the party prepared to receive the League champion trophy.
“We have had a great season”, stressed the Barca coach when asked if Barcelona had completed a better year than Madrid: “I would give the team a notable”, he argued. “We did not meet all expectations. We have competed very well in the Super Cup, we had the misfortune of the Cup and the League has been extraordinary”, an exercise conditioned, on the other hand, by the elimination in the group stage of the Champions League and in the Europa League.
The Barcelona coach avoided redounding on the 4-0 received by Madrid in the semifinals of the European Cup: “I don’t like the word bathroom because it is destructive, just like failure. City were far superior and took advantage of it; It was not at the Bernabéu. I already said that for me City is the best team in the world right now”, added Xavi, who still remembers the rúa last Monday through the streets of Barcelona: “It was extraordinary and also good for the players to see what Barça is ”.
Xavi also asserted that he does not see “a problem” in the negotiations for the renewal of his contract that ends in 2024: “We have talked a lot, but it is not a priority; yes it is to make a more competitive team and win. I will never be a problem for Barça, but this is about results. The League gives me credit to start the following season. I am very excited and I really want to do more and even bigger things”, closed the Barcelona coach.
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