Xavi Hernandez now has his first title as Barcelona coach, even if it has not been an easy road.

He received a team battered by the legacy of the last few seasons and with morale at rock bottom after Ronald Koeman's first few months in his second season in the dugout.

Xavi arrived as the saviour and after a general outcry from the fans who had chosen him as the perfect coach for the rebuilding project.

Six titles gone

In this long year that he has been in the Barcelona dugout, there have been many disappointments.

He fell in the Champions League at the first hurdle, but his responsibility in this was minimal because when he was handed the baton the team was practically eliminated.

Then titles began to be lost, some unexpectedly. The first was precisely the Super Cup and also against Real Madrid.

It was in the semi-final and in a match that Barcelona celebrated because they had been able to compete with Los Blancos.

Copa del Rey and Europa League

The defeat shortly after in the Copa del Rey against Athetic Club was more painful.

The team knew that the Copa del Rey was a clear title option because LaLiga Santander was just a dream.

The club did not allow Xavi to field Ousmane Dembele and the team paid for it.

Also painful was the elimination from the Europa League because it came in a home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt in a Camp Nou packed with German fans.

Another setback in the Champions League

This season has not been easy either as the team started very well and raised expectations to the maximum with the team leading in LaLiga.

But the Champions League put the team back in its place, making it clear that there is still a long way to go to be at the level of the best.

The elimination opened fire from critics and the first criticisms of Xavi began to arrive.

Peace of mind until June

The coach knew the importance of the title won in Riyadh.

It is true that it is not the most important of the season, but because of the moment and the opponent it was crucial as it puts the team on a par with the best.

The victory was against the current European champions and it is a title that gives the club peace of mind, at least until the end of the season.

A defeat against Los Blancos would have led to an unbearable end to the campaign.

Clear superiority

The match, moreover, provided several positives. Firstly, that they can play perfectly well with the 4-2-3-1 formation they started with and offered some very good moments.

And, finally, they overcame the problems of the last few games as the team came out on top, dominated their opponents, didn't concede chances and didn't lose their shape in the second half.

Not only that, but they continued to be much better and never allowed Real Madrid to get into the game.

His team didn't let up and scored again and could have had a few more if it wasn't for Thibaut Courtois being on his game.

Marc Andre Ter Stegen, on the other hand, had virtually no work to do.