Ernesto Valverde supports Xavi, says he is not looking for revenge vs Barcelona

Barcelona got back to winning ways against Villarreal, with Robert Lewandowski and Ansu Fati splitting three goals in a 3-0 win.

Xavi had made a few changes to the team on the night, and it worked like a charm for them, with the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres, and Fati standing out.

The win, as enjoyable as it might have been, only helps them maintain pressure on Real Madrid. Los Blancos leapfrogged Barça in the league standings with a win in EL Clasico last weekend.

Games continue to come hard, fast, and entertaining in La Liga, with Madrid taking on Sevilla tonight. Barcelona, meanwhile, lock horns against Athletic Club at the Camp Nou.

Ahead of the fixture, former Blaugrana coach, now manager of Athletic, Ernesto Valverde, spoke to the media as part of his pre-game press conference. During the same, he was enquired about his past life with the Catalan club, and whether he was looking for ‘revenge’.

“I want to win, there is no revenge, we want to get 3 points. They are ahead of us in the league and this is difficult,” he said, as quoted by Athletic Club, before adding:

“Barcelona are in good form, they played a good game against Villarreal, it will be difficult.”

Xavi is under heavy scrutiny after the team’s potential (read: inevitable) crash into the Europa League. Valverde, however, fully backed him as the best man for the job.

“He knows Barcelona well because he was a natural as a player and knows what the club’s environment is and what it means not to win or draw. With the ideas he’s trying to implement, I see the team as very good. Sometimes he does it more subtly, sometimes less subtly. But it is a strong team that can look forward to everything.”

Valverde went on a two-year hiatus after being sacked by Barcelona back in January, 2020. He has come back strong, though, with his Athletic side sitting 6th in La Liga with five wins out of ten.