GETAFE, Spain: Xavi Hernandez believes young Barcelona midfielder Gavi would be happiest staying at the club, amid speculation he could leave in the summer, the Catalan coach said Saturday.
Gavi signed a contract renewal with Barcelona until 2026 in September but because of the club’s financial difficulties, they have not been able to register it with La Liga.
That means Gavi remains on his previous deal, which is set to expire in June, allowing him to sign for free for any other side.
Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been linked to Gavi in recent weeks, but Xavi said the 18-year-old should stay at Barcelona.
“I don’t know what other people are thinking, but I think that Gavi would not be as happy at any other team than he is at Barca,” Xavi told a news conference.
“He has everything here, we value him, he’s a starter at 18, he’s decisive for the team.
“He’s a very important player and he’s a player that excites me. He’s a marvellous footballer, and I think his future lies at Barca — he would not be as happy elsewhere.”
Gavi has established himself as an important figure both for Barcelona and the Spanish national team over the past two years, after coming through his club’s La Masia youth academy.
Barcelona are 13 points clear at the top of La Liga and visit Getafe on Sunday, aiming to take a step closer to their first title since 2019.
The team will travel by high-speed train to Madrid for the match instead of flying, which Xavi said was an effort to reduce pollution.
“We hadn’t done it before because it’s a bit longer,” added the coach.
“It’s about pollution and we think it’s the ideal time to do it because the game is at four in the afternoon.
“It won’t affect us, it’s something we’re open to.”
Earlier this season French side Paris Saint-Germain faced a backlash after coach Christophe Galtier and striker Kylian Mbappe mocked a suggestion that they should take the train to nearby games instead of flying.
Gavi would be happiest staying at Barca — Xavi
https://arab.news/gqcrh
Gavi would be happiest staying at Barca — Xavi
- Gavi signed a contract renewal with Barcelona until 2026 in September
- Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been linked to Gavi in recent weeks
Marmoush, Salah strike as Egypt edge out holders Ivory Coast in quarter-final
- Egypt wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute
- That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance
AGADIR, Morocco: Omar Marmoush netted the opener and Mohamed Salah scored the decisive goal as Egypt ended Ivory Coast’s reign with a narrow 3-2 triumph in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.
Center back Rami Rabia was the other scorer for the Egyptians, who had little possession at the Grande Stade Agadir but took their chances with clinical precision and held on grimly to book a semifinal meeting with Senegal on Wednesday.
An own goal from Ahmed Fatouh and a late effort by Guela Doue proved insufficient for the Ivory Coast, winners of the tournament on home soil two years ago but now deposed as African champions.
Egypt, who have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, wasted little time in taking the lead as Marmoush scored in the fourth minute after Hamdi Fathy pinched the ball from Franck Kessie in the midfield, allowing Emam Ashour to thread a pinpoint ball to the sprinting Marmoush. He still needed to shrug off the attentions of defender Odilon Kossounou before slotting home.
But it quickly became clear the Ivorians were going to dominate possession, showing much more physical strength on the ball but without setting up clear chances.
Egypt went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute when Rabia rose above the defenders to head his side further ahead from a corner.
The Ivory Coast, who had 70 percent of possession in the first half, reduced the deficit eight minutes later when teenager Yann Diomande’s freekick near the corner took a slight brush off Kossounou’s head and ricocheted off the knee of full back Fatouh and into the net.
SALAH FINISHED OFF CLEVER MOVE
The Ivorians had come from 2-0 down to beat Gabon 3-2 earlier in the tournament but hopes of turning the scoreline around soon after the re-start were stymied by a simply created, but superbly finished, goal for Salah seven minutes after the break.
Rabia was well inside his own half when he chipped the ball over the top of the Ivorian defensive line, allowing Ashour to run onto it and hit an accurate pass with the outside of his right boot into the path of Salah to score.
An Ivorian comeback was still on when Doue touched home at the end of a goalmouth scramble in the 73rd minute.
That set up a siege of the Egyptian goal in the final 15 minutes but they held out to advance.
Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria overpowered Algeria 2-0 in Marrakech and will take on hosts Morocco in the other semifinal.
