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Xavi Hernández hit out at critics who he says called Barcelona the joke of the Champions League after leading the Catalan side into the quarterfinals of the competition for the first time since 2020.
Fermín López, João Cancelo and Robert Lewandowski were all on target at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday as Barça beat Napoli 3-1, sealing a 4-2 aggregate win to book their place in the last eight.
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It represents significant progress on a European level for Barça, who failed to make it out of the group stage in each of the last two seasons and lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 in 2020-21.
“I said we would take a step forward with my decision to go in the summer,” said Xavi, who earlier this year announced that he will step down at the end of the season.
“People didn’t believe me; [they said] I was going to lose the dressing room. We have received unfair criticism. There has been too much pressure on the players: ultimatums, life or death [games].
“I even read that we were the joke of the Champions League. And now what?”
Xavi’s announcement came as Barça fell further behind LaLiga leaders Real Madrid and were eliminated from the Spanish Supercopa and the Copa del Rey in January.
However, he still has a chance to go out on a high with success in the Champions League and he claims his team are in better form than when they won a first LaLiga title since 2019 last season.
“We are playing better than last year,” he added after Barça stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to nine matches.
“We understand certain things better. Despite results, what this team is doing deserves a lot of credit. It’s a moment to be proud and value what we have done.
“I am really happy. It was a complete performance tonight against the Italian champions, one of the best displays of the season.
“The team gave everything and we dominated for large parts of the game. We have shown that we are ready to compete in Europe again and are back among the top eight teams on the continent.
“I am really proud of the players, the youngsters, the veterans, everyone. It’s a moment to enjoy.”
Away from the goal scorers on Tuesday, there was another standout performance from 17-year-old Pau Cubarsí in the middle of Barcelona’s back four.
On his Champions League debut, Cubarsí, making just his 12th Barça appearance, managed to contain the threat of prolific Napoli striker Victor Osimhen at the same time as completing 61 of his 68 passes.
“When he has the ball, my heartbeat doesn’t go up,” Xavi said. “When he has the ball, I am completely relaxed. That’s the best summary of Pau Cubarsí.
“He doesn’t get nervous. The way he plays out from the back is amazing. He always finds the free man, links well with the midfielders and he has the calmness to generate attacking moves from defence. It’s spectacular to watch him play.”
Cubarsí’s display earned him UEFA’s MVP award.
“It’s been one of the best days of my life,” the defender, who joined the club’s academy in 2018 from Girona, told reporters.
“We have reached the quarterfinal of the Champions League after a few difficult years. The whole team deserves this MVP trophy, not just me. We are a group.”
Barça will now await Friday’s draw to see who they meet in the last eight, with Real Madrid, Manchester City, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich the other teams already through.
Inter Milan or Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund or PSV Eindhoven will compete the lineup.
“Every possible rival is difficult,” Xavi said. “As I said, it’s a day to enjoy being a Barça fan. We have to remember where we have come from. After two years dropping into the Europa League, we are now back in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.”