A year ago
Xavi points to one thing that could give Barca an edge over Madrid - it's not the recent victories
During his pre-match press conference against Real Madrid, Xavi was asked if he thought Barcelona were a good candidate for the match with the recent El Clasico result.
The coach disagrees and insists that if there's one thing that will give Barca players an edge, it's their hunger for titles.
"We are hungry for titles. We are hungry for success, we have many players in the squad whose only title is the Supercopa and that is very important," Xavi said, citing Diario Sport.
"I was convinced that the goal this year was to win titles. I believe we have that obligation. We won one and we have two left. We have a big advantage in the tournament but so far we have only won the Supercopa."
Madrid, indeed, has a team full of decorated players. And even young players come in after a season of winning La Liga and the Champions League.
Read More
Sofyan Amrabat enjoyed a fruitful World Cup for Morocco
Sofyan Amrabat had a fruitful World Cup for Morocco (Image:
Getty)
Manchester United made an offer for World Cup star Sofyan Amraba in January, according to his agent, who opened the door to a move from Fiorentina this summer.
Amrabat caught the eye of several clubs after helping Morocco become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.
The 26-year-old started all seven of Morocco's World Cup matches as the Atlas Lions beat Spain and Portugal to the last four before being eliminated by finalists France.
Despite spending more than £100m on Enzo Fernandez in January, Chelsea are still interested in signing Amrabat on loan at the end of the transfer window.
But the Blues are not the only Premier League club keeping an eye on Amrabat, with Manchester United making an offer to sign the Moroccan midfielder, according to his agent. Erik ten Hag was keen to bolster his midfield options in January after losing Danish star Christian Eriksen to injury, United finally signed Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich. .
"Yes, we received more than one offer in the winter transfer window," Amrabat agent Mohammed Sinouh told Kora Plus.
Erik ten Hag is keen to strengthen Man Utd squad in January
Erik ten Hag is keen to strengthen the Man Utd squad in January (Image:
Getty)
"There was also an offer from Manchester United, but negotiations were not finished at that time."
Amrabat is about to make 100 appearances for Fiorentina, who signed him from Club Brugge in 2020.
He has been a key player for the Italian club this season but will be allowed to leave this summer if Fiorentina receive a suitable offer, his agent has claimed.
"We do not currently have an offer for the departure of Sofyan Amrabat," he added. "But Fiorentina welcomes the player's departure this summer, especially after securing the club president's promise when he turned down offers during the winter transfer window."
Fiorentina are currently ninth in Serie A, eight points behind European places with ten games remaining of the 2022-23 campaign.
Total Comments: 0