Barcelona midfielder rallies teammates and fans after club’s Champions League exit, as tensions rise ahead of a high-stakes clásico
Barcelona midfielder Gavi has urged fans and teammates to stay united following the club’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Inter Milan, ahead of a crucial La Liga clash against Real Madrid at Montjuic this weekend.
The 20-year-old posted a passionate message on social media after the 4-3 loss at the San Siro, which saw Barcelona eliminated 7-6 on aggregate. In his statement, Gavi expressed frustration at the defeat and, in a veiled dig at Real Madrid, claimed there were those who didn’t want to see Barcelona succeed.
“It’s really tough, especially knowing how close we were, culers,” Gavi wrote on Instagram. “They didn’t want us to reach that final because with the season we’re having, they were sh*tting themselves.”
The midfielder then expressed optimism about the rest of the season.
“It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been since we won the Champions League, even though I know it’s really hard and I wish we could win it every year, I’m sure we’ll win it if we’re all together like we always are.
“We can still finish this season winning three titles, when people thought we wouldn’t win anything at the start of it.”
Gavi ended his message by encouraging the fans to support the team strongly during Sunday’s clásico: “Let’s blow the roof off Montjuic on Sunday and go win!!!”
The youngster’s comments come at a time when several Barcelona players have made bold claims about their season. Defender Inigo Martinez also declared after the loss to Inter: “La Liga is ours and the next game will be ours, I have no doubt about it. We’re going after Madrid without any problem.”
Martinez’s comments have reportedly not gone down well in the Real Madrid camp, with Los Blancos viewing them as disrespectful. It promises to add further tension to the upcoming fixture, which is already significant as a potential title decider.
Barcelona currently hold a four-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga, and a win at Montjuic on Sunday would extend the gap to seven points with just three games remaining. Madrid, on the other hand, will look to close the gap to just one point and keep their title hopes alive.
