FCBARCELONA.CAT

19.09.2008 14:03

Xavi: “We’d be under pressure even if we were leaders”

Jordi Clos

Xavi Hernández feels the team is ready to begin a long winning streak at El Molinón. On a personal level, he would be happy to keep up his good form in the first games of the season.

One of the big names in the FC Barcelona squad, Xavi Hernández, spoke to the press on Friday about the latest events at the club. He said the team is “ready to win” after defeating Sporting Lisbon in their opening Champions League encounter (3-1), and the next challenge is to get their League campaign back on track with a win at El Molinón.

“We’d like to be in a more comfortable position, but we’d be under pressure even if we were leaders” he said. Against Sporting Gijón, “we have to try to correct our errors and start winning in the League”.

Positive competition

Xavi does not think the team has lost any of its spark after losing some key players over the summer. He believes “there are good enough players in the squad to make up for the absences of the likes of Ronaldinho and Deco. We have other important footballers and we can’t lay the blame on the players that have gone.”

The Catalan went on to reiterate that “the boss has made it clear from day one that he has his faith in every member of the squad and that is an added motivation. Everyone has to be alert and ready.”

On top form

Named the best player in the European Championship, and after ten years in the first team, Xavi looked back on “good and bad moments” in his career. But “now I feel tremendously confident of the coaching staff and my colleagues and that helps to perform better. I have been really pleased with my own performances and I hope things stay that way.” Xavi got another goal on Tuesday but said “group achievements are more important than individual ones.”

Messi and Bojan

He also commented on the way things are going for Leo Messi and Bojan Krkic. He considers the Argentinian to be “the best player in the world … he has to be selfish in the area because that way he can make a difference … we are delighted to have him with us and that he is an individualist, always in the good sense of the word.”

As for Bojan, he said “I think he’s fine, comfortable, settled and prepared. He’s got natural talent, but it is the manager who decides how much he plays. But he clearly has every faith in him.”