Madrid have a winning gene and Barca are asleep – Xavi
Real Madrid have a winning gene and Barcelona have fallen asleep, according to Xavi.
Barcelona great Xavi slammed the LaLiga giants for falling asleep amid Real Madrid's European dominance.
Madrid claimed a third consecutive Champions League title on Saturday, beating Liverpool 3-1 in the final in Kiev.
Barcelona, meanwhile, secured the LaLiga crown for the third time in four seasons during 2017-18.
But Xavi – who won four Champions League trophies with Barca – accused the Spanish champions of becoming "dormant", despite signing the likes of Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele in recent seasons.
"Madrid have a winning gene and Barca have fallen asleep," he told El Penalti.
"They have been dormant for years with signings and that takes its toll."
Xavi also pointed to Madrid's luck in the Champions League, the latest of which was Mohamed Salah's injury and Loris Karius' errors in the final.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"Real Madrid had everything in sight. Injured players like [Paris Saint-Germain star] Neymar, [Bayern Munich's Arjen] Robben, [Jerome] Boateng, the referees," he said.
"The most important Liverpool player was injured, Bayern goalkeepers [Manuel Neuer injured and Sven Ulreich's semi-final error] and Liverpool.
"It seems like a witch, but the issue is that Barcelona have fallen asleep and it seems Barca are winning titles, but the others are winning the Champions League."
‘Amorim’s starting point is completely different to Arne Slot’s. How long will it take? F**king hell, god knows. He must be very convinced about himself’: Ex-Manchester United coach highlights how much time is needed to turn things around
‘I spoke to the other Chelsea guys at the time – everyone thought we came to Saudi just for vacation, but we’re here to work for the club. There’s pressure’: Former Blues star discusses swapping the Premier League for Al Hilal