Xavi talks Messi, Fati, Pique, Madrid, and de Jong to United rumours ahead of Rayo clash

The games continue to come hard and fast as Barcelona ready the Camp Nou to welcome 14th-placed Rayo Vallecano. A loss here could be detrimental for either team.

For Barcelona, however, the danger is much less, especially considering the inconsistence performance of their top-four rivals. They sit second in the table, with 63 points with a game in hand over Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.

Further, they are coming off a 0-1 win over Real Sociedad which must have motivated the squad to do better. Ahead of the clash, Xavi addressed the media as part of his pre-game press conference.

On Rayo Vallecano: “Tomorrow is a golden opportunity for us to keep the second place. They are a complete opponent. Their recent win against Espanyol was very important to them.”

“We have to be more impactful when we have the ball, it will be an important step for us to win tomorrow.”

On Ansu Fati: “Ansu Fati depends on his feelings. If he is 100% ready we will try to involve him.”

“He is training with the group, I think he will return against Mallorca.”

On Gerard Pique: “Pique has been playing for two-three months with muscle discomfort, his commitment is great, we will see tomorrow.”

On La Liga title: “La Liga is almost impossible.”

“The only thing that counts is winning. But this year that’s not the case. We have been a point behind Madrid since November, but what matters is the entire season.”

On Ferran Torres: “He is an important player for us.”

On new signings: “In order for us to sign a new player, players must leave.”

“It depends on planning. Our idea is to strenghtem the team with players in each position. We are Barcelona and we must have players in each position. We are more focused on the current season than the next.”

On Barcelona’s training: “When coaching Barcelona, there are different feelings, winning at the Bernabeu, not winning titles, we have to go through on our own reality. We are in the post-Messi stage, we must be patient.”

“We are in the first season of the post-Messi era, and you have to be patient. This has been evident in many teams, such as Manchester United. You have to fight for titles, you have to win. But you have to do it patiently.”

On Laporta saying that La Liga is not lost yet: “I am a positive person, but Laporta is even more positive than me. It is true that we did not lose the league mathematically, but we must be realistic as well.”

On Aubameyang: “He is a guarantee, he’s scored goals in his whole career. He’s been a great winter signing, he helps with his humility, sacrifice, and positivity.”

On de Jong to Man United rumours: “He’s very important, he has to mark an era at the club. He is at a very good level and must continue. He can be one of the best midfielders in the world in the future. If it were up to me, he would continue at Barcelona for many more years.”

Source: BarçaTV+