Football: Soccer-Xavi reaches 100 games at the helm of Barca with championship ambitions

(Reuters) – Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez reached 100 games in charge of the La Liga club with a 2-0 win over Almeria on Thursday, and although being on the verge of a second-place finish, he made it clear that he wants to win championships.

Xavi, who last month reversed his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, said he is concentrating on the future with changes already in mind for the club.

“I have every ambition to win titles. The economic situation is not the best and we are working to reverse it. We are planning the next season and I see it as an opportunity,” Xavi told a press conference.

“We are getting the games ready to play the Super Cup next year. I really want Barca to win titles again. This year we haven’t competed well enough to win them, but we’ve come close. I’m eager, excited and ambitious,” he added.

Xavi spent 17 years at Barcelona, making 767 appearances and winning 25 trophies, including four Champions Leagues and eight La Liga titles.

Despite being a club great and winning La Liga last year as coach, he has come under pressure this season after failing to catch Real Madrid, who have already secured the title, and losing to Paris St Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals.

There are also the challenges of a bloated wage bill and a 1.6 billion euro ($1.7 billion) renovation project at the Camp Nou stadium.

But Xavi is clear that the club will fight to change as he aims to change, involve and improve.

“It’s not an easy or pleasant situation. We want to win titles and we haven’t done our homework. We have a very good squad and I am happy with the level of ambition of the players.

“We tell the players the importance of finishing second, but I want to compete and fight for titles,” he added.

($1 = 0.9203 euros)

(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Sonali Paul)