Xavi Despite Clásico Loss: We Feel Proud and Today is a Turning Point

Xavi Hernandez, the coach of Barcelona, stated that he is proud of his team's performance despite the 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup. In a press conference following the match held at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Xavi said, "We were affected because we were imposing our control on Madrid, which was pinned back for long minutes. However, we can feel proud because this is the path we must take, and what we are currently missing is achieving results." He added, "We were better than Madrid at many moments and were at the same level. Barcelona also deserved to reach the final... today is an important turning point for the future." Xavi emphasized that "it was clear to him that it was a day where we showed courage and responsibility with the ball and eliminated complications," which his team accomplished in the last 60 minutes of regular time and extra time. Nevertheless, Xavi acknowledged that Barcelona "leaves with sadness" and that they "played the first 25 minutes with complications that allowed Real Madrid to control the match," noting that Madrid was able to score by exploiting Barcelona's mistakes.