Xavi managed to have a chat with Villarreal goalkeeper Pepe Reina after Barcelona’s 1-0 win over them recently, as per Barca insider Joan Fontes.
The two played together at La Masia and also for the Spanish national team, which is why they caught up after that game.
They had a chat and one of the topics discussed was the possibility of motivating Robert Lewandowski to guide Barca to the Europa League title.
Xavi reportedly had concerns about whether he could convince the Polish striker to give his best performances in the Europa League before the defeat to Man United.
This was the message Xavi sent to Reina about Lewandowski: “How can I motivate Lewandowski to win that title?”
Lewandowski struggled to perform to his utmost best in both legs against United, which indicates that the gaffer might’ve failed to fully motivate him for the games.
Xavi’s poor record in Europe as Barca manager also continued with the game, as he was eliminated from the Europa League knockout rounds in successive seasons.
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