November 28, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has expressed his belief that Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernandez, possesses the capability to improve the club’s recent results. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Ancelotti offered words of encouragement to his rival while discussing Barca’s middling form and crucial UEFA Champions League tie.
Despite sitting 4th in La Liga, Barcelona still have their fate in their own hands in Europe. A home win against Porto would guarantee their qualification to the UCL knockout stages after two consecutive early exits. Ancelotti, no stranger to scrutiny himself, stated “Xavi, like me, knows football very well, and there is criticism.”
The Italian manager went on say that while such criticism is at times unavoidable, he feels Xavi has the requisite experience as both player and manager to manage the situation at the Catalan club.
Real Madrid have already secured their place in the round of 16 after dominating Group C. With five more points than second place Napoli, Los Blancos will clinch first place with just a draw when they host the Italians on Wednesday night.
Napoli recently replaced manager Rudi Garcia with Walter Mazzarri, who led the club previously from 2009 to 2013. Ancelotti admitted the coaching change could motivate Napoli and stated Mazzarri is a good friend with vast knowledge of Italian football.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
