Ever since Xavi Hernandez took over the reins at FC Barcelona, the manager has made it a routine of sorts to set challenges for his players for matches. Should they be able to achieve those objectives, he grants them rewards, usually in the form of days off.
And, according to Javi Miguel of AS, Xavi has given his Barcelona stars a lengthy break of two and a half days this week following their 1-0 victory over Valencia in La Liga.
The Blaugrana were made to work hard by Los Che at Camp Nou last evening, but they prevailed ultimately, despite being a man down for half an hour after Ronald Araujo was sent off during the match.
A goal from Raphinha and some determined defending ensured that Barcelona came out on top and bounced back from their last league game, which they had lost to UD Almeria.
Following the match, Xavi has now given his Barcelona players two and a half days off, with the footballers not expected to report for training until Wednesday noon.
It means that the Blaugrana stars get close to 72 hours of off time to be with their families and friends after a tough week during which they also saw off Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.
What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that Real Madrid failed to see off Real Betis in their encounter later on Sunday night. Their draw meant that Barcelona have now expanded their lead at the top of the table to nine points.
The Blaugrana will next face off against former manager Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Club outfit away at San Mames on Sunday night.
