FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez appeared in the press room ahead of the clash against Mallorca and spoke about the farewell to the Spotify Camp Nou, as well as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Barca want to say goodbye to the Spotify Camp Nou (until further notice) with a victory over Mallorca. The stadium will be packed to the rafters for a match in which Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who will not be at the club next season, will be saying goodbye.
Xavi, in the press room, highlighted the importance of the clash: "It hasn't been easy to find extra motivation these days, but what better than to say goodbye to the Camp Nou, many years of history, emotion, passion, great games... and then there's the farewell of Busquets and Alba. It will be very emotional, let's hope the fans have a good time.
"I have been thinking that it will be an emotional and sad farewell because we say goodbye to our stadium for many years. I have felt at home at the Camp Nou. But it's for a good cause, to have a better stadium where the fans still feel better. It's for the common good," he added.
In relation to the departure of a key player like Jordi Alba, this is what the coach had to say: "One of the most difficult things has been managing friends, having to make decisions that they should not play... in the end I am the Barcelona coach and I am here to make decisions, sometimes painful ones. It happened to me with Pique, Alves... The position of coach comes before anything else. I prioritise the team, the club and we have to be very professional. It wasn't a personal decision, it was a sporting and group decision".