{"id":160032,"date":"2022-01-02T12:06:46","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T12:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/candas365.es\/noticias\/?p=160032"},"modified":"2022-01-02T12:06:46","modified_gmt":"2022-01-02T12:06:46","slug":"xavi-slams-crazy-decision-not-to-postpone-barcas-mallorca-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/candas365.es\/noticias\/xavi-slams-crazy-decision-not-to-postpone-barcas-mallorca-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Xavi slams ‘crazy’ decision not to postpone Barca’s Mallorca trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berlin (STATS Perform\/dpa) – Xavi believes forcing Barcelona to play Real Mallorca on Sunday is \u00abcrazy\u00bb due to the Blaugrana’s 17 first-team absences.<\/p>\n

\"football\"<\/p>\n

Barca were hit with a spate of Covid-19 cases during the winter break, with as many as 10 players testing positive for the illness.<\/p>\n

One of those \u2013 Samuel Umtiti \u2013 has since returned a negative test meaning he is technically available for Sunday’s trip, though he is not deemed match fit after being unable to train in the past week.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Xavi is without five players through injury; Sergio Busquets is suspended; Yusuf Demir is negotiating his departure; and Ferran Torres, who is injured anyway, cannot be registered until Monday at the earliest.<\/p>\n

While postponements have become commonplace in other competitions, such as the Premier League, regulations in La Liga make such situations much rarer.<\/p>\n

Teams will still have to play so long as they have 13 available players from their first and second teams. Clubs must continue to adhere to the rule that dictates a minimum of seven players registered to the senior team are on the pitch at the same time.<\/p>\n

But that minimum can drop to five players if teams have fewer than seven professionals available for selection \u2013 essentially, as long as Barca can name five first-team players in a starting team, their games will not be postponed, much to the frustration of Xavi.<\/p>\n

\u00abIt makes no sense to play tomorrow,\u00bb Xavi told reporters in Saturday’s pre-match news conference.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe are in an extreme situation. We have between 17-18 casualties, it depends on Umtiti, who today has tested negative but has not trained for a week.<\/p>\n

\u00abIt’s a time to suspend the game. In this way [not postponing the game], the competition is adulterated, it is crazy to play like this.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe have no choice but to compete with who we have. Mallorca has also asked for it [the game to be postponed].<\/p>\n

\u00abWe must appeal to common sense. It’s not a complaint, it’s a reality. Basketball has been suspended.<\/p>\n

\u00abWe will play if La Liga forces us. We’ve trained well, but it’s a chaotic situation. Be that as it may, we will go out to compete and try to win.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Barca head into their first game of 2022 seventh in La Liga, 18 points adrift of leaders Real Madrid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Berlin (STATS Perform\/dpa) – Xavi believes forcing Barcelona to play Real Mallorca on Sunday is \u00abcrazy\u00bb due to the Blaugrana’s 17 first-team absences. Barca were hit with a spate of Covid-19 cases during the winter break, with as many as 10 players testing positive for the illness. One of those \u2013 Samuel Umtiti \u2013 has<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[343],"tags":[427],"class_list":{"0":"post-160032","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-actualidad","8":"tag-news"},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t