Xavi’s message to Barcelona stars after beating Athletic Club: “We are already very close”

Barcelona continued their trend of sealing hard-fought wins in La Liga when they secured yet another 1-0 victory over Athletic Club on Sunday.

Although the game had its fair share of controversies, especially with a couple of opposition players livid with a goal that was disallowed by VAR late in the game, Diario AS reports that Xavi is extremely happy with the result.

As soon as the game finished, the Barcelona coach congratulated all the players, stating that the win has helped the team move one step closer to the league title. “Congratulations! One more step, we are already very close,” he said.

Xavi also congratulated each player after entering the dressing room, showing his delight after Barcelona’s three points over Athletic Club.

Even club president Joan Laporta was happy with Xavi following the result. The report suggests the win helped out the team morale a lot, especially in the midst of allegations against the club over the Enriquez Negreira payoff scandal.

Xavi was also happy with the fact none of the four players, who were running the risk of being suspended, picked up any bookings. That means all of them – Raphinha, Sergio Busquets, Ferran Torres and Franck Kessie – are in line to feature against Los Blancos next weekend.

Finally, the Barcelona coach, as promised, handed the players three days off, in light of the result against Athletic Club. That means the players will not have to train on Tuesday and Wednesday while their training will be postponed to Thursday afternoon.

This could come as a major boost to Barcelona as they brace themselves for the ultimate showdown against Real Madrid this coming weekend.

With a towering nine-point lead at the top heading into this game, a win or even a draw could make Catalans the undisputed favourites to clinch the title come the end of the season.