Shouting and tension, what happened in the dressing room with Xavi and Barça players?

Things have not been going well for Barcelona lately. They suffered some painful defeats that caused criticism from fans and the press. In Champions League they lost against Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp, although that didn't stop them from qualifying to the round of 16 as group H leaders. In La Liga they were not so lucky. Defeats against Real Madrid and Girona and a draw against Valencia left them far from the top of the standings.

With this scenario, last Wednesday they had an ideal opportunity to recover: they played at home against Almeria, the weakest team in the tournament. However, during the first half things did not go as they expected, the team's performance was disappointing and they went to the break with a 1-1 draw. Things changed in the second half, as Los Blaugranas showed more energy and offensive ambition and eventually won 3-2 thanks to two goals from Sergi Roberto.

But after the match rumors began to be heard about what happened during the break in the Barcelona locker room. That Xavi Hernandez made two changes at that moment, taking off Joao Felix and Jules Koundé, showed that he was not happy with the team's performance.

And the coach himself confirmed these rumors. In an interview with Catalunya Radio, he acknowledged that there was "tension" during the break and that he thought it was "convenient to raise my voice a little". However, he also clarified that this is "something normal in the locker room" and that "the team reacted very well. We are a big family, the players are professionals and the second half against Almería is the way we have to stay".

He trusts the team

Xavi then spoke about the near future and assured: “It's in our hands. An exciting 2024 begins, with four titles at stake. This is our objective. We have to get our batteries, compete and above all fight. We have to give our all on the pitch, that's the most important thing”.