XAVI NOT HAPPY AT CRITICISM

BARCELONA boss Xavi rounded on his critics as he looked forward to tomorrow’s Champions League quarter-final draw.

The former midfielder won nine Spanish league titles and conquered Europe four times as the linchpin of Barcelona’s side.

But despite having won La Liga last season, the 44-year-old has had to battle fierce criticism, with his side third in the league with 10 games to go.

The Catalans are a point behind Girona and eight adrift of Real Madrid with a huge game this weekend against fourth-place Atletico Madrid.

A superb win over Napoli on Tuesday night carried them into the last eight of the Champions League for the first time in four years and Xavi believes that the work of rebuilding Barca into kings of Europe has only just begun.

“I’ve said it before, Barcelona is still under construction,” he said. “It will remain a team under construction.

“With our young players, I think this team deserves a lot of merit, being in the quarter-finals of the Champions League having beaten a great Napoli team.

“Yesterday you were saying that at key moments the team wasn’t up to the circumstances. But yet we did it. Both at Napoli’s stadium and here at home. We made it.

“This is the time to be proud of ourselves and value what we have done. We are still in this competition. We had many hopes this season. The goal remains intact.

“Nothing changes so far. We are in the quarterfinals. If we had lost today, you would have said I am out in the street. So let’s stay calm. This is getting too emotional. This is a time to enjoy.

“Let’s go for the game against Atletico Madrid and wait for the draw. Step by step.”