Originally, if Barcelona beat Girona FC in the 34th round of La Liga, coach Xavi planned to reward the players with a two-and-a-half-day break. However, such a plan eventually came to naught.
The 2-4 defeat to Girona FC shocked FC Barcelona from the top to the players. Barcelona president Joan Laporta, while watching the match from the stands of Montilivi Municipal Stand, angrily shouted "It can't be like this!".
On the field, the whole Barcelona team was in a low mood. Captain Sergi Roberto was disappointed, admitting his mistake and asking for forgiveness from the fans. Not far away, Coach Xavi stared into the distance with a solemn face.
Barcelona were beaten by Girona FC in unbelievable circumstances. Xavi's side led 2-1 in the first 45 minutes, but after the break, the home side conceded back-to-back goals before Girona turned it 4-2.
It is worth noting that Girona FC scored 3 goals in just 10 minutes and Barcelona collapsed in an instant. No one can explain how it all happened. Off the pitch, head coach Xavi understood it was a day when the club's form hit rock bottom, leading to the disastrous defeat.
The newspaper Ace described the defeat to Girona FC as a "painful haunting" for Barcelona. Barcelona are now at risk of finishing the season in third place, meaning they will not be able to play in next year's Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The poor performance was undoubtedly adding to the club's already poor financial situation. Last month, Barcelona were knocked out of the 2025 Club World Cup by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
After the defeat to Girona FC, Barcelona's Ciutat Esportiva training ground was enveloped in a heavy atmosphere. The players fell into deep thought, silence and sadness. No meetings, no speeches, no messages or words of encouragement.
Previously, at a press conference at the Montilivi Municipal Stadium, coach Xavi refused to publicly criticize the players. But sources have revealed that the Spanish coach was very disappointed with the atmosphere in the team's dressing room.
Barcelona endured their worst 30 minutes of the season, losing 4-2 to local rivals Girona. It was a heavy blow to the confidence that coach Xavi had shown in his players before.
Originally, when Barcelona played Girona, Xavi planned to give his players a two-and-a-half-day break after the win. This is because Barcelona will not have their next match against Real Sociedad in La Liga until May 14.
However, in Montilevive's game, Barcelona's holes, especially in defence, were exposed and exploited by Girona FC. Head coach Xavi must also be held accountable for his team's lack of tactical clarity and style of play.
In the standings, Barcelona fell to third place with 73 points, just one point less than Girona at the top of the table. Although there are still four rounds left in the season, it is still unknown whether Barcelona will be able to turn the tide and finish second.
In the 2023/24 season, Barcelona will fall significantly in the rankings. They have been beaten back-to-back by Real Madrid in important matches and have also suffered back-to-back home and away defeats against Girona FC.
According to Spanish media reports, Barcelona are now like a powder keg, and the club has not ruled out the possibility of a major purge this summer. In addition, in the recent defeat to Girona, Xavi had insisted that his future would not be shaken by a single defeat or a performance at the end of the season. In addition, there have been reports that FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta remains firmly in support of Xavi. However, all this is premised on the team being able to improve and improve significantly in the following games.
If Barcelona fail to secure second place in the league as they would like, the result will be seen as a major failure and could trigger a series of 'new' and 'traumatic' changes within the club. At that time, whether Xavi can stay in office will become a question of uncertainty. For the manager, second place in the league has become the minimum he must achieve.