Barca English
Xavi Hernandez, coach of the Barcelona team, spoke at the press conference after his team drew 1-1 with Espanyol in the match that took place between the two teams today, Saturday, at Camp Nou, in the fifteenth round of the Spanish Premier League competitions.
This tie made the Catalan team lose two points and equal with Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga standings, with 38 points each.
Xavi said in the press conference: “We reduced the pace, the tie was our fault. We were not effective. We had to settle the match. When you miss opportunities, this happens to you. We finished the year jointly leading with Real Madrid, but we lost two points that should not be lost.”
Regarding the referee, Mathieu Lahoz, Xavi said: “Lahoz controls the matches, but today he lost control of the match. He distributed cards without meaning. Alba told me that he did not say anything to Lahoz.”
He added, “Today we are talking again about arbitration and we cannot do anything. The referee has to go out and talk and explain his decisions. Jordi Alba told me that he did not say anything when he received the second card!”
And he continued: “If Lahoz goes out to talk, I will ask him why the match got out of control. The referees going out to talk adds a human character to arbitration.”
Regarding thegame, the Catalan coach said: “We are all angry. We hit the ball 22 times and Espanyol 4, you play better than them and in the end you don’t win. Several things happen in the match and you can’t control it.”
And he talked about Ansu Fati: “I see Fati fine. He participated from the beginning because he is training very well. He did an amazing job on the defensive side. I miss the effectiveness like the rest of the team, but I see him developing very well.”
He ended his remarks by saying, “The players trust me. If I don’t feel that way, I will go home.”
