'Under construction': Is Xavi Hernández leading FC Barcelona astray?

Xavi Hernández and FC Barcelona have struggled to reclaim their dominion over European football. A once indomitable force in the Champions League and La Liga is now faced with serious financial and competitive challenges, as the team navigates a period of uncertainty.

The Catalan team has qualified for the next Champions League showdown but must sort out its internal disputes before the important fixtures arrive. A series of negative results have led Xavi Hernandez's squad astray.

FC Barcelona is currently 4th in La Liga after a shocking home defeat against Girona FC. A tough loss to digest, seeing their local rivals climb up to 1st place in the league with 41 points.

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A bitter-sweet Champions League night for Xavi's squad following their 3-2 defeat against Royal Antwerp FC. Barcelona was already through to the next round of 16 but put on a horrible performance against one of the worst-performing teams in the Champions League.

To add insult to injury, Real Madrid have won every single game in their qualifier group and now stand five points ahead of FC Barcelona in La Liga.

FC Barcelona's head coach, Xavi Hernández, has been under immense pressure to turn things around. During a post-match conference, he described the club as "under construction" which puzzled fans and media. He would later express his content with the team's ability to surpass itself in comparison to last year's European run.

Xavi's comments were not well received up top, and would later be asked to clarify his comments regarding the club. During his Champions League conference, he cleared the waters stating: "When I say under construction it is because we must improve things".

FC Barcelona is still in the fight and can turn things around, however, there is too much-unwanted controversy surrounding the club. Relationships between coaches and players have been regular questions asked by the media in press conferences. Does Xavi have the situation under control?

Laporta has stated his confidence in Xavi "remains intact", but there seems to be some distance between the two. Laporta asked Xavi to re-arrange his starting line-up for the Antwerp fixture! The Spanish coach re-selected Lewandoski for the match after he fell out of the starting eleven.

Barcelona's 2023/24 season has been a challenging one so far as they face financial uncertainties and corruption trials, there is very little room for good football. The club's atmosphere is saturated with uncertainty and it's affecting both fans and players. Will Xavi Hernández be able to turn it around?