Ronald Araujo, a defender for Barcelona, has supported Xavi Hernandez as manager in the wake of a poor Copa del Rey elimination. With an eight-point deficit to Girona, the league leaders, and seemingly little chance of making a deep run in the Champions League, it puts their prospects of winning a trophy this season on life support.
After Athletic Club’s 4-2 loss, Araujo praised them and mentioned how tough it was to play them initially.
“Athletes are formidable opponents, particularly on their home pitch where their supporters are strong. I emphasize that we remained competitive the entire time. We had several injuries and young players had to play a lot of minutes, but we never gave up,” he said to Sport.
“Being eliminated from a tournament is never easy, but we must persevere. La Liga and the Champions League are the two remaining competitions. Napoli is up next, and we have two home games left. We must move forward and experience joy.
When asked about Xavi Hernandez’s future, Araujo gave a reassuring response.
“Well, that depends on the board, but Xavi has been a big assistance to us.” He said, “The players want him to stay and support him.
It was up to the players to stand up and make a difference, regardless of the manager, Jules Kounde, his defensive partner, told the media last week. Rumors of dissatisfaction have also surfaced within Can Barca, though. Last week, it was claimed that Xavi and Frenkie de Jong got into a fight in the locker room, to which Sporting Director Deco intervened.
