WITHIN 24 hours, the jubilation surrounding Xavi’s return to Barcelona on Saturday was supplanted by the grim reality of the club’s current predicament after it blew a 3–0 lead to Celta Vigo.

Entering Saturday night’s game at the Camp Nou, Barcelona had won 276 straight La Liga matches when leading by three goals, a run that dated back to 1996. It took all of 44 minutes to reverse that in Vigo, with the hosts scoring three second-half goals to steal a point off Barcelona.

Barcelona fans woke up to the news that Xavi had been confirmed as the club’s new manager after Qatari side Al-Sadd agreed to let the Barca legend leave when his release clause was met.

Xavi won four Champions Leagues and eight La Liga trophies in his 17-year playing career for Barcelona. However, Saturday’s result revealed the perilous task ahead of Xavi in taking over for Ronald Koeman and turning around his boyhood club.

In interim coach Sergi Barjuan’s last game before Xavi will take over, Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas led the comeback with two goals in the second half, including his 96th-minute equalizer. Nolito added the second goal in the 74th minute to put pressure on Barcelona before Iago Aspas’ dramatic stoppage-time strike.

(SD-Agencies)