The match against Real Madrid proved to be an insurmountable challenge for Barcelona, culminating in a 4-1 defeat that secured the Super Cup for the rival team. With a hat-trick from Vinicius Junior and a final goal by Rodrygo, Los Blancos showcased their superiority. In contrast, the Catalan giants displayed a performance that was a significant step behind their Madrid counterparts. At the sound of the final whistle, Xavi Hernández expressed his disappointment and yet held onto the belief that Barcelona still has potential to show this season.
Xavi apologises as Barcelona lose El Clasico
“I’m very upset. This is football—it can’t get much worse. I apologize to our fans. It was a disaster. But Barcelona will bounce back,” began the FCB coach. “So far, this has been the weakest performance of the season. I want to apologize to the fans once more.” Xavi remarked further.
“Despite this, I want to remain optimistic. We’re still competing on three fronts and we’ll give our all in every one. I believe in this project. I think we can still have a great season. Last season everyone was talking about a new era. Today’s defeat is hard on everyone, but not everything is lost. There was already criticism before the game, and there will be even more now. I’m ready to face this and keep fighting. I want to apologize to the fans once more and ask them to keep faith in this project,” concluded Barcelona’s manager.