It was all calm and normal just two days ago, ahead of the meaningless Champions League game between Antwerp and Barcelona. The Belgian team is dead last in group H without a single point and has nothing to play for except pride. On the other hand, Barcelona is already first, and it would only take some weird combination of results to get them out of the round 16, so a quiet game was expected at Belgium’s biggest port. But that all changed a day ago, and now, all of a sudden, the Catalans are at the top of every Spanish newspaper. What happened?🚨🗣️ Xavi: “The dressing room is angry and wants to react. Against Girona, we lacked vigor and strength, but we had a good match. We have to be self-critical.” pic.twitter.com/8HllnPAG3y— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) December 12, 2023 Considering that this was a meaningless game, coach Xavi decided to rest some key first-team players like Robert Lewandowski, Araujo and Gundogan. They were about to stay in Spain with other players who were injured and would not participate (Ter Stegen, Íñigo Martínez, Gavi, Marcos Alonso and De Jong). Then, the decision was changed, and those three players were included and boarded the plane. The official reason was that the team would not return immediately after the game due to logistical problems. The Barca expedition will return a day later, on Thursday, and there was an option for the team to do a training session in Antwerp, so Xavi needed all of his players available. Also, a logical reason. And then the Spanish ‘Esports RAC1’ ‘stir the water’ by claiming that it was president Joan Laporta who actually asked Xavi to include those players. And if true, it would be a completely different matter.🚨Barcelona players have been ‘banned from showering’ at their stadium and training centre pic.twitter.com/bf3XF5gy8n— SPORTbible (@sportbible) December 13, 2023 All media immediately cited the Spanish radio and commented that Laporta de facto intervened and threatened Xavi’s independence and authority. Maybe the president remembers that his club lost two of its last three final days in the Champions League group stage in the recent past and wanted to prevent that. After all, Barcelona is in financial crisis, and one win over Antwerp would give them an additional 2.8 million euros, which is a pretty sum. Not to mention that anything short of victory would be an embarrassment, especially after a 4-2 defeat from Girona in La Liga. For all those reasons, Laporta wanted to be sure that the best players were at least on the bench in Belgium. But to interfere in the squad selection is a huge blow to Xavi’s authority if the reports are true.Girona defeat divided Xavi and DecoBarca’s coach stuck to the original story that those players were called since the team would sleep in Antwerpen after the game.“The change has been due to the travel itinerary. Many players have preferred to travel. This way we are together, we work together. Yes, yes, we have decided. What groups? Well, the team, the president, Deco, the club. We are not going in different ways, that is, it is us and talking to the players because we were doing one more night and that changes a lot” said Xavi, who once again announced that the younger players will get a chance in this game.Wednesday20:45: (7.75) Crvena Zvezda (4.80) Man.City (1.40)20:45: (1.35) RB Leipzig (5.30) Young Boys (8.00)23:00: (1.65) Atl.Madrid (3.70) Lazio (5.60)23:00: (3.20) Celtic (3.60) Feyenoord (2.30)23:00: (4.00) Dortmund (3.60) PSG (1.90)23:00: (1.95) Newcastle (3.50) Milan (3.90)23:00: (1.50) Porto (4.40) Shakhtar (7.50)23:00: (5.50) Antwerp (3.90) Barcelona (1.63)***odds are subject to change***
