Barcelona boss Xavi fears press will 'kill him' if he fails to win titles this season

FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is desperate to finally win his first title with the club since re-joining them as a manager. He enjoyed massive success at the Catalan club as a player, but he is aware that the fans and the media have little patience and will slaughter him if he fails to secure any silverware this season.

Xavi took over the Camp Nou in the middle of last season just as Barcelona was swimming in numerous controversies. They were neck-deep in debt and had just lost captain Lionel Messi due largely to their financial crisis. At the same time, there were corruption allegations against former club executives. All the issues translated to the pitch, leading to a massive drop in performance.

New president Joan Laporta embarked on the massive task of rebuilding the club, and Xavi is an integral part of the plan. Ahead of Barcelona's semi-final match against Real Betis in the Spanish Super Cup on Thursday, the former midfielder admitted that he feels an immense pressure to win the title.

"I'm here to win titles and if there are no titles this season, you're going to kill me. We haven't won any titles for a while and it's about time we did," he said in his pre-match press conference as quoted by Marca.

He also added that winning will give him some breathing room. "It wouldn't change too much to win the title, but we're motivated to do it because it would be the first of the season and it would give us peace of mind."

However, Xavi also made it clear that he knows it will be a tough match against Betis. "We will have our work cut out because they are difficult. They suffer without the ball. I think that will be the key tomorrow."

If they advance to the final, Barcelona will be facing reigning title holders Real Madrid, who are also the current La Liga and Champions League winners.

Meanwhile, Xavi also defended the Spanish Federation's decision to stage the tournament all the way in Saudi Arabia, saying that many teams are benefitting from the financial gains coming out of the deal.