Barcelona: Xavi calls for patience in 'post-Messi era'

The Barcelona boss says the club must be realistic with their goals after the departure of the Argentine talisman.

Xavi Hernandez has admitted Lionel Messi‘s exit from Barcelona has made it hard for them to compete for trophies. However, he says the Catalans cannot afford to wait too long before regaining their best form.

Messi left Barcelona after 21 years to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free deal last summer. The Argentine’s departure greatly impacted the already-struggling Barcelona, leading to Ronald Koeman’s sacking in October.

With the arrival of Messi’s former teammate, Xavi, things have started to look better for the Catalans. However, they are still 15 points away from their arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga.

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Speaking ahead of his side’s upcoming game vs Rayo Vallecano, Xavi reflected on Barca’s process of dealing with the departure of their former number 10.

“It’s our reality. This is the post-[Lionel] Messi era, that’s difficult in itself,” Xavi told a press conference. “He used to win games on his own. We have to be patient. I’m excited to win trophies, but we have to strengthen. We have to be realistic.

“We’re in the first year of the post-Messi era, we have to be patient. We’ve seen a lot of great teams, like at Manchester United, [where] it’s been hard for them to come back, to qualify for the Champions League.

“Barca can’t allow that. We have to fight for trophies, we want to compete.”