Barcelona Featured Press conferences

Laporta: “We are proud of Xavi and all the staff”

Gavi and Lewandowski celebrating a goal against Real Madrid/ FC BARCELONA

FC Barcelona continue their incredible run of form with a glorious victory over Real Madrid in the final of the Supercopa de España. Laporta, Xavi, Busquets, and Gavi spoke to the press after the match and talked about the performance, the players, among other things.

Barça win their first title under Xavi after defeating Real Madrid by 3-1 in the final of the Supercopa de España. The Catalans dominated the game and took control of the game after two first-half goals and continued the good form going into the second half, finishing the game with a commanding victory.

This is what club president Joan Laporta had to say:

On the victory:

“Barça played at a great level. Gavi scored a great goal, he had two assists as well. He deserves the honor of being the man of the match. It’s a team performance. Pedri is a magician. Busquets played a great game. I am impressed by Xavi too. We have suffered and it is a very nice reward. The attendance at the stadium is one of the highest in recent years.”

On Real Madrid:

“Real Madrid is a true rival. They know how to be in victory and in defeat and they were elegant.”

On the significance of the Supercopa:

“It’s special because it’s the Super Cup. Congratulations to the Federation, the organization has been extraordinary and we have all felt proud. But it is special because we said that we would bring joy back to Barcelona fans. It is the first Xavi era title and the first always feels good.”

On Xavi:

“I am convinced by Xavi’s work. Xavi has the knowledge, personality, and genuine style of playing football. We are very proud of the coach and all of his staff. He does everything with a lot of passion.”

This is what Xavi had to say:

On the victory:

“I am very satisfied and very happy. This means a lot to me. When we win and we don’t play well, I don’t leave completely satisfied. Today what we had planned went perfectly. We have bounced back from a difficult time [for the club]. Leo’s departure was very difficult to digest. I hope this is the first title of many. This victory gives peace of mind to the team, the environment, the board, and above all the players. They have shown that if they can do it against the European and League champions, they can do it against anyone.”

On the players:

“I am happy for the players, they have received a lot of criticism, most of it unfair. Today, they have proved themselves and this gives us a lot of confidence. The players see that what we have proposed is already going perfectly. That makes the players believe in what we do. But we don’t have to stop here, we have to keep working.”

On Gavi:

“When you see him compete, he has a soul and character that rubs off on the whole team. He comes out of it, he is spectacular and he is 18 years old. I never get tired of praising him. This boy has no limit.”

On the president:

“I have a friendly relationship with the president and I am very happy for him. He has invested very strongly in this project. I’m happy for him and the board.”

On the fans:

“We must continue to mature while sticking to our model. Today everything went well, but there will be hard days. I remember the day against Bayern, we lost at home and the fans were with us. Today we have been able to give them joy back, but we must not forget that we are still a team under reconstruction.”

This is what Barça captain, Sergio Busquets had to say:

On the victory:

“We knew that it was an opportunity that we had to seize. We are going through a time of changes in the club and in the dressing room and this win will strengthen us to continue fighting for more titles. We had hope and ambition, but at Barça, you always demand to win and Xavi has reminded us of that.”

On the game plan:

“We strengthened the midfield to take control and Araujo was really good at stopping Vinicius. We left them with no options and felt very comfortable. The superiority in midfield went very well for us, and when we have had the ball, we were very effective.”

On Gavi:

“He is a competitive animal. At that age, players are in the youth team but he has played at an incredible level, scoring goals and giving assists. My advice to him would be to keep listening and learning. Hopefully, he will mark an era at Barça.”

This is what the man of the match, Gavi had to say:

On the tactics:

“We were very dominant. The coach had a very good plan for the game, and we understood everything very clearly.”

On his performance:

“I’m happy with the victory. Personally, I still have a lot to improve. I think I was very good, but we have to keep improving. I define myself as a player who always gives everything for the team.”

On the celebration:

“It’s a Clásico and a final. We’ve celebrated it to the fullest. A title with Barça is something I’ve been wanting since I made my debut.”