Xavi labels Barcelona ‘most difficult club in the world’ and admits his side ‘relaxed’ after Real Madrid's latest loss

• Barcelona lost 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano midweek
• Xavi claims Barcelona are "most difficult club in the world"
• Suggests team were "relaxed" after Madrid's earlier loss

WHAT HAPPENED? After Wednesday's 2-1 loss against Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona manager Xavi claimed they are one of the most difficult clubs to manage in the world. The Blaugrana were handed a tough loss playing away from home and with Real Madrid also losing to Girona, the Spanish side could have extended their lead to 14 points at the top of the table.

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WHAT THEY SAID: The former Barcelona midfielder, referencing the criticism his side received for the defeat despite their clear points advantage in the league, highlighted the high standards of managing the Blaugrana.

"Barca are the most difficult club in the world. It's not enough to win 1-0. If people don't see it the way we do, we're not going to beat ourselves up. From the inside we value it a lot. We have to value the league," claimed Xavi, as reported by Barca Universal.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Catalan outfit are leading the La Liga table and are above arch-rivals Real Madrid by 11 points. A midweek defeat for Los Blancos could have bolstered Xavi's men's chances of extending their lead at the pinnacle of the table. But according to the Spanish manager, his team may have "relaxed" after Madrid's loss.

"Lack of motivation? It's a footballing issue," Xavi added. "I also make mistakes as a coach. Maybe the fact that Madrid lost makes us relax a bit. It happened to us in Almeria and it happened to us again. You always have to be hungry to win."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR XAVI AND BARCELONA? With Real Madrid still trailing Barcelona by 11 points, Xavi will want his team to produce magical performances in their upcoming fixtures and avoid any unnecessary slip-ups. With seven games still to play before the curtains are drawn on the season, the Blaugrana need 11 more points to secure the La Liga title, and Xavi will want to seal it in their upcoming fixtures.