Xavi: “Messi? Barça is his home, his doors are open”

He smiled as he heard the question. He gave Xavi a smile when they revealed to him the meeting that Joan Laporta, the president of Barça, had with Jorge Messi, father and agent of the Argentine star. He knew that this question would come to him just before facing Manchester United at Old Trafford this Thursday (2-2 in the first leg of the Camp Nou).

“This is his home. For Leo this is his home and the doors are open,” the Barca coach declared, insisting on a couple more occasions that Messi can return to the Camp Nou whenever he wants. “He has the doors open, I can’t say anything else”, Xavi stressed.

“I can’t say anything else. He’s a friend, we’re in constant contact,” the Barcelona coach underlined, indicating that he is keeping the dialogue open with the still Paris SG player, with whom he has a contract until June 30. He owns Messi of his destiny.

Xavi: “This #MUFCBarça It will be a new exam pic.twitter.com/hN92Re6Edb

– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) February 22, 2023

“It will depend on him, on what he wants to do in his future, on what fits in at the club. But it is clear that this is his home, there is no doubt about it”, the Terrassa coach reiterated once again, who did not He has doubts about the fit that Messi would have in his project starting next season. In the event that the ’10’ decided to return to the Camp Nou, of course. “The best player in the world and in history would always fit, always.”

Playful Araujo pic.twitter.com/C2Q1ZxGICH

– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) February 22, 2023

Call to “passion”

Xavi addressed the future of Messi at the end of a press appearance in which he appealed to “passion and mentality” to defeat Manchester United and sneak into the round of 16 of the Europa League. “It’s a very difficult game because United is now one of the best teams in Europe in terms of play, results, competitiveness… They have a lot of passion and a lot of rhythm. We have to match all of that”, the Barça coach specified.

“United is back. What about us? It’s an ideal setting to see if we’ve changed”, Xavi said. “We haven’t been up to the task in the Champions League, let’s see if we are now in the Europa League. We’ll see where we are, tomorrow is a test, a very good opportunity and we arrived at a good time”, stressed the Barcelona coach, who He has not wanted to reveal the game plan he will have at Old Trafford.

Without Dembélé, Pedri and Gavi

“I have decided on the eleven, but the players don’t know it. But the idea, with four midfielders or three forwards, doesn’t change. It’s the same,” said the Barça coach, lamenting the absence of Dembélé (“he’s capital for us, He makes a difference, he puts you back”, said Xavi), Pedri (“he gives us order, he doesn’t lose balls”) and Gavi. “It’s pure passion, pure intensity. It’s what we need,” added the coach, urging his players to enjoy Old Trafford, despite facing one of the best teams on the continent.

Xavi: “I tell the players to enjoy. But also that they are calm and that they control their emotions & rdquor; pic.twitter.com/yJ1JlSFWWg

– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) February 22, 2023

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“The pressure is on me. I told them to enjoy it, it’s a fantastic setting to play in this stadium. That should motivate any player. They should be calm and control their emotions”, the coach indicated.

And when questioned about the words of Karl Heinz Rummenigge, former president of Bayern Munich, about the supposed refereeing help that Barça has received, Xavi has been blunt: “I have never felt that the referees have helped us win titles.”