The Xavi – Barca honeymoon lasted less than expected. When the former Nou Camp legend returned to the club, there were even talks about maybe challenging Real for the title, but soon enough, Champions League spot was back as the main target among fans and the management. But, The Catalonians are currently five points away from the fourth place in La Liga and are still not playing well. Koeman is gone, but the problems remain, as a mere 2-2 draw against mediocre Osasuna showed. 🚨 – Sergio Aguero is set to confirm his retirement from football on Wednesday 💔[@marca via @City_Xtra] pic.twitter.com/m1oZn89RLO— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 13, 2021 To be honest, a lot of players were missing in this match due to injury (Fati, Depay, Pedri, Alba), and for the current crop of players, it’s a bit too much. Still, when you are a European giant, nobody cares who is missing, and Xavi himself proclaimed that Barca always has to win. “We have to change this dynamic, quickly. We urgently need a victory. Because there, we have a problem. Is not because of a lack of desire or motivation. The positive note in all this negative, it is the performance of our young people. The players who create differences today are 17, 18, 19. It bodes well for the future of the club, but it says a lot about the current situation. They are very young players, who will not have a constant performance. We are in a complicated situation, which requires time and patience” said Barca coach after the match. Another member of the “anti-Koeman” club – Junior FirpoHis loyal player and a friend Gerrard Pique also voiced his displeasure after the draw. Spanish media are reporting that the Spanish international is considering retirement at the end of the season, but is willing to play for another year, if Xavi needs him. Pique already stated that he won’t finish his career as a substitute, and also announced he will retire as a Barca player. He is also in excellent terms with both Xavi and president Laporta and will do whatever they tell him to do: retire at the end of the season, stay for another year (if needed) or play for free.“The objective of Barca is already to think about the next match. We know that in the long term all these young people will be very good for the club. But now we have to think about getting results. Just win, win and win. We are in a critical situation” said Pique. Barca have a long road ahead if they wish to reach club’s former glory – Osasuna keep the Catalans at bayAnother player is about to retire, but unfortunately much sooner than Pique. Victim of heart problems, Sergio Aguero should quickly announce the end of his career. According to information from several Spanish media including El Periodico, Kun will formalize his retirement on Wednesday, December 15, after making only 5 appearances for Barca. And another former Barcelona great commented the situation in the club and offered his support to current boss and his former player. “You have to have trust that Xavi is a capable person. I have already seen an improvement in Barca, though it will not be what the fans want, because that takes time. You have to give him trust. The starts it to recover confidence, it’s not a case of taking a pill and everything going well” former Barcelona player and coach Luis Enrique told Mundo Deportivo.
