Winning La Liga vital for long-term project, says Xavi after Barcelona clinch 27th title

By India Today Sports DeskBarcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said it was a “magnificent feeling” to win his first La Liga title as manager of the club where he won eight as a player, ending the Catalan giants’ four-year drought. Xavi’s team won the title 4-2 against city rivals Espanyol on Sunday, thanks to two first-half goals from Robert Lewandowski.

Barcelona last became Spanish champion in the 2018-19 season, with club legends Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez spearheading their attack. However, as the club’s finances deteriorated, both were forced to leave, and the team’s fortunes suffered.

Nonetheless, Xavi has led them back to the top of the table less than two years after returning to the club to replace him.

“We are left with a magnificent feeling, more than 10 months of work, of sacrifice. It has been an extraordinary job,” Xavi told Movistar Plus.

“For the fans, for the club, winning it was vital for the stability of the project, we must continue on this path. This League means that we are doing things very well, this gives us stability, although we still have the unfinished business of European competition.”

XAVI ON EUROPEAN TITLES

For the last three seasons, Barcelona has failed to advance beyond the last 16 of the Champions League.

Barcelona has only reached the semi-finals of Europe’s elite club competition once since winning the title in 2014-15, following a glorious run of four Champions League titles and ten La Liga titles from 2005 to 19.

However, they have had an outstanding domestic season, defeating bitter rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and winning La Liga with four games to spare. Xavi admitted to feeling the pressure and was grateful for his family’s support.

“I thought about my wife, my parents, my brothers and sisters… the staff, who have suffered a lot, those who never fail,” Xavi said.

“We are in Spain and here criticism is normal, it happened to me when I was a player, but I am very stubborn and in the end the reward comes when there is good work.”