Barcelona coach Xavi says he was unsettled even before the bus arrived at the Camp Nou ahead of their game against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Thousands of German fans managed to secure tickets for Thursday’s duel in Catalonia and occupied large parts of the stands, which made it feel as though the visitors were playing at home.
“When I left the hotel, I saw that something was wrong,” Xavi told the press conference.
“They threw everything at us. You feel robbed at home. It didn’t seem like we were playing at home.
“Everything started badly. Then [came] the penalty. It was a fateful night in every way. It started and ended badly.
“It’s a hard blow, they’ve eliminated us from the Europa League. We hoped to win it and go straight into the Champions League [group stage] and we haven’t succeeded. It’s a blow.”
There has been talk about whether Barcelona can combine playing attractive football with winning titles, but Xavi is adamant that the team’s philosophy won’t change.
“With this style, we have won five Champions League titles,” he added.
“Johan Cruyff introduced it. It has borne fruit and results. We have to improve it, but not lurch. We have to believe, correct and improve. We will not change our DNA for losing a game or a title.”
Barcelona are facing Cadiz at home on Monday, with Xavi making clear that his team should improve a few aspects of their game.
“You improve by working,” noted Xavi.
“You have to improve and not concede easily. We have to improve in the first minutes of the games. It’s concentration.
“We wanted to win a title, and we’re still fighting for the league. We’re there [in the race], although it’s complicated. I’m proud of how they competed on Thursday, but we didn’t play well. I’ve shown them our mistakes.”
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