Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández expressed optimism about the club’s future, whether or not he remains in charge, following their 4-2 loss to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The defeat at San Mamés came on the heels of a 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa final just 10 days earlier, leaving Barcelona’s chances for silverware this season dependent on La Liga and the Champions League.
Despite the disappointment in the result, Xavi commended the team’s young players, highlighting the contributions of teenagers Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Hector Fort, and Marc Guiu in the match against Bilbao.
“All coaches at big clubs depend on trophies, but I feel pride at how we competed against a great team until the end, especially the youngsters,” Xavi said in his postgame news conference.
“We’re playing with kids. The squad is small. This is what I mean when I say we are in construction. I think this is the start of something big. Whether I am here or not, Barça have a big future.
“There is a really good project, not in terms of me as a coach, but in terms of a really good generation coming through. Cubarsí, Fort, Lamine, Guiu and many more players … Fermín López.
“I think it’s the start of something big, but we have to work hard and we have to win. It’s about winning at Barça.”