"I have zero doubts that the criticism from the press is affecting the team.
"It happened to me as a player and I can see it now. There's a massive wave of negativity around the team that is harming us."
"The criticism does not affect me, it affects the players," Xavi stressed.
"I can see it in their faces. People said I was Barca's cancer [when he was a player], and now I'm here as the manager."
Despite the rough treatment that he and his men have received from local newspapers such as SPORT and Mundo Deportivo, Xavi insisted that he never looks "at the negative part of things".
"I only try to look for solutions to our problems. Solutions so that our players can enjoy themselves on the pitch.
"I can tell that they're not enjoying now," Xavi added.