Legendary Ex-Barcelona Midfielder Xavi Blasts Club's Transfer Policy Despite La Liga Success
Barcelona legend Xavi has voiced his opinion that there are underlying problems at the Catalan club, which have been hidden by the their recent La Liga success.
Xavi's former club won La Liga comfortably last season, and were one game short of going through the entire domestic season unbeaten. However, the 38-year-old midfielder has blasted the club's senior officials for making poor signings, saying the club has 'slept' in recent transfer markets.
In a private WhatsApp conversation, broadcast by Catalan radio station Radio Estel (via AS), Xavi said: "Madrid have this winning gene and Barca have slept, for years, when it comes to signings. Those who make the signings do not know what they are doing, and you pay for that. It seems Barca win [La Liga] titles, but the others [Madrid] are winning the Champions League."
Barcelona looked to be in trouble in the not too distant past, when Real Madrid won the league and Champions League in the 2016/17 season.
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Judging by his comments, Xavi obviously saw this coming and does not think the subsequent signings of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho, Paulinho, Nelson Semedo and Yerry Mina have been up to standard.
His point is proven by Barcelona's Champions League record. The club have crashed out of the competition at the quarter final stage in each of the last three seasons, with fierce rivals Real Madrid going on to win all three.
Xavi, now playing his football in Qatar, also said that Real Madrid have been lucky to win the Champions League on three successive occasions.
"Real Madrid had everything go their way. Injuries like Neymar, [Arjen] Robben, [Jerome] Boateng, the referees, Liverpool's most important player [Mohamed Salah] getting injured, mistakes from the Bayern and Liverpool goalkeepers. It is like a curse."
