Barcelona have total faith in Xavi despite Copa del Rey elimination vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Barcelona were given a reality check last night as they succumbed to a 0-4 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Real Madrid at Spotify Camp Nou. The loss (1-4 on aggregate) meant that the Catalans crashed out of the Copa del Rey at the semi-final stage.

Barcelona had enjoyed a high-flying 2023 so far, having opened up a big lead in La Liga and having won three El Clasico matches in a row. But last night’s defeat highlighted that there is much work to be done for them to reach the heights they aspire to.

And, according to SPORT, Barcelona have total faith in manager Xavi Hernandez and believe that he is the right person to take the team forward.

The report states that the Barcelona administration had been dreaming of a domestic treble this season, having won the Spanish Super Cup and being on track to lift the La Liga title. But the Copa elimination poured cold water on those dreams.

Despite that, the Barça board is understood to retain full and absolute confidence in Xavi. They believe that the 43-year-old is the ideal candidate to steer the club back to success after years of middling returns.

Last season, Xavi managed to guide Barcelona to second place in La Liga and ensure Champions League qualification which was seen as an achievement considering that they were languishing close to the bottom half of the table when he took over.

The Blaugrana showed their backing for Xavi by splashing a big sum on recruitment last summer. It was considered as the first phase of the rebuild and they are willing to put their trust in the club legend again in the market and hope that he guides the team back to the top.

There is an understanding that the squad needs to be strengthened further to challenge in Europe consistently and compete with top teams. The addition of a few more experienced players could be considered this summer as a result, while the attacking unit could also be refreshed.

What is clear is that Barcelona have total faith in Xavi and nothing changes with regard to his future or the imminent contract renewal despite last night’s heartbreak.