Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández acknowledges that the team’s performance has been impacted by the negativity surrounding them.
This acknowledgement comes after Barcelona rallied from a goal down to secure a 2-1 victory against Alavés on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium.
Following a defeat to Real Madrid, a close win over Real Sociedad, and a midweek loss to Shakhtar Donetsk, Barcelona has faced intense criticism in the media.
Xavi notes that the younger players, in particular, have been adversely affected by this criticism.
“Without doubt, what the media say affects how the team plays,” he said. “The [media] create situations and scenarios that, for me, are not real. And it affects, without any doubt, the team.
“It happened to me as a player and it’s happening to my players. There is negativity, which is not good or positive at all.
“Above all, it affects the youngest players. You see [Iñigo] Martínez, Lewandowski, [João] Cancelo and Gundogan; it does not affect them. But we have a lot of youngsters and we have to protect them and give them confidence.
“[The performances] are our fault, of course, but the youngsters feel a tension that a month ago didn’t exist. It is a difficult situation that we have to manage, but it’s hard, especially after conceding an early goal.”