Xavi warns his Barcelona youngsters ‘cannot be the pillars’ to the club’s recovery and insists the entire squad must ‘work and connect’ to rediscover their form after conceding a late equaliser to draw with Osasuna
- Barcelona conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 during their game with Osasuna
- Nicolas Gonzalez and Abdessamad Ezzalzoul score to put Barcelona 2-1 ahead
- But, Ezequiel Avila’s 86th-minute strike levelled the score – ending the game 2-2
- Xavi says his Barcelona youngsters ‘cannot be the pillars’ to the club’s recovery
- The boss say his entire squad must ‘work and connect’ to rediscover their form
Xavi says his Barcelona youngsters ‘cannot be the pillars’ to the club’s recovery after his side conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 with Osasuna on Sunday.
The financial state of the club will prevent Barcelona from making big-money transfers over the coming years. Instead, they will look to their La Masia academy graduates.
However, Xavi says it is unfair to put such pressure on the shoulders of 17-19-year-olds and admits the entire squad must ‘work and connect’ to rediscover their form.
Manager Xavi says his Barcelona youngsters ‘cannot be the pillars’ to the club’s recovery
Teenage starlets Nicolas Gonzalez and Abdessamad Ezzalzoul were responsible for putting Barcelona 2-1 ahead at the weekend.
However, it was not enough to secure the Catalans three points as Ezequiel Avila’s 86th-minute levelled the score.
When asked about the impact his youngsters – such as Gavi, Pedri and Ansu Fati – have at Barcelona, Xavi said: ‘It is the positive note, but at the same time also negative.
Teenage starlets Nicolas Gonzalez and Abdessamad Ezzalzoul were responsible for putting Barcelona 2-1 ahead at the weekend but Ezequiel Avila’s 86th-minute levelled the score
Xavi says it is unfair to put such pressure on the shoulders of Gavi, Pedri, Ansu Fati and more
‘The players who are making a difference at the moment at Barca are 17, 18 and 19 years old.
‘It is very positive for the future of the club, but it is also negative – they are so young that they will not always have this level.
‘Abde [Ezzalzoul]’s game is spectacular, and those of Gavi and Nico, but they cannot be the pillars. Here we have another problem. We have to work and connect everyone’.
Xavi went on to reflect on the game itself, saying: ‘We have not been able to dominate the game in the final minutes.
Instead he says the entire squad must ‘work and connect’ to rediscover their form
‘It required having the ball in the opposite end of the pitch. We have a very big problem with this. It is time to keep the ball to defend.
‘Yes, we have to change the dynamics, but we have not been able to. It is a hard reality. It is not due to attitude or desire.
‘It is 20, 25 minutes that we should have been in the opposite half. Control the game. We need this type of footballers’.
