By SABC Sport
15th January 2024
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez apologised to the fans following the 4-1 loss to Real Madrid in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup Final.
Madrid secured the cup with a resounding 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Barcelona, thanks to a hat-trick from the Brazilian sensation, Vinicius Junior.
"We weren't the team we wanted to be. We have to carry on working," said the Blaugrana boss.
"The way we started the game affected us a lot. We gave away far too much. We weren't pressing properly, but the penalty hit us very hard. We simply weren't up to the level required of a competition like this. We're furious with ourselves and we need to improve a lot if we are going to fight for titles this season.
"This was a very hard defeat to take. But there is a long season still ahead and we now have to keep battling for the trophies that are left. We need to stay strong. We'll be back. We can still have a good season because we have all the arguments to do just that."