Xavi Wins 1st Trophy As FC Barcelona Lifts The Super Cup In Riyadh
Xavi Wins 1st Trophy As FC Barcelona Lifts The Super Cup In Riyadh
After a long wait, FC Barcelona has finally won a title under coach Xavi and especially without Lionel Messi.
Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 to win the Spanish Super Cup on Sunday. This title win gives the fans a reason to celebrate again after a gruesome rebuild of the team since Messi left for PSG in 2021 amid the club’s financial struggles.
What Did Xavi Have To Say?
In a post-match interview, Xavi stated, “We have been through some tough years, with financial difficulties, Messi’s departure. It was not easy to bring back a positive dynamic. This will help give us some tranquility. We’ve been working hard from the beginning despite all the criticism, and we have to keep working.”
The Catalans had not tasted trophy success since the 2021 Copa del Rey under Ronald Koeman. That was during Messi’s final season at the club as he lifted his 35th and final title with FC Barcelona.
It was Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, and Pedri who scored a goal each for the Catalans before Karim Benzema got a late stoppage-time goal. at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh. It was the club’s 14th Super Cup Trophy and first since 2018. It was also the first in the new format where the Top two teams in the league and finalists of the Copa Del Rey competed.
The earlier format was just a single final played between the league winner and the cup winner. This new Final Four format began in 2020 and will continue until 2030 in a lucrative deal between Saudi Arabia and the Spanish soccer federation.
Reaction From Busquets And Carlo Ancelotti
“We knew we couldn’t miss this opportunity,” Barcelona captain Sergio Busquets said. “We’ve been going through changes at the club and I think this triumph will make us stronger and allow us to keep competing, keep growing and keep fighting for titles.”
He added: “It’s clear that at Barça you always have to win. We knew it was going to be like that after Xavi arrived, and now we finally have been able to do it.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said, “It’s a tough loss and we have to learn from it. We will improve and bounce back from it.”
On their road to the final, both teams needed penalty shootouts to get past their opponents in the Semi-finals. Madrid beat Valencia and Barcelona got the better of Real Betis.
Earlier in La Liga, it was Madrid who beat Barcelona 3-1 in the season’s first “El clásico” at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. However, it is Barcelona who maintains a three points lead in the league table ahead of their arch-rivals.
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