Xavi reveals who was wrong in Ansu Fati-Ferran Torres penalty drama

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Xavi reveals who was wrong in Ansu Fati-Ferran Torres penalty drama

Barcelona coach Xavi has explained the reason Ansu Fati was not allowed to take the team’s penalty during Sunday’s narrow La Liga win over Valencia.

Barça secured all three points thanks to an early goal from Raphinha, widening their lead over Real Madrid to nine points after Los Blancos drew a second successive game.

But the margin for victory could have been wider. A Valencia handball presented Barça with the opportunity to double their lead early in the second half, but there appeared to be a brief disagreement over who was going to take it.

Without a goal in La Liga since October, Fati asked for the ball from Ferran Torres but was denied his request and seemed frustrated to lose out. It didn’t help that Torres proceeded to miss the spot-kick, striking the ball low against the outside of the post and wide.

Xavi later praised the ‘ambition’ the incident showed from Fati, but pointed out that Torres was in fact the designated penalty taker on the field – there was no Robert Lewandowski due to injury. He also explained that Fati would have known the order beforehand.

“It's good to show ambition, desire and the responsibility of wanting to shoot. But we have an order. It's positive that he wants to score and help, his attitude is good,” the boss said.

“There is an order in the penalties that we communicate to the players. Ferran was top of the list. The staff decided and the players know that.”