Joan Laporta 'outraged' with Barcelona squad after 3-2 UCL loss against Royal Antwerp: Reports

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is 'outraged' with the team's performance in their 3-2 defeat against Royal Antwerp in the Champions League.

This is as per Johan Vehils of SPORT (via Barca Universal), who has added that this result coming after the Catalans' 4-2 loss to Girona in La Liga just made matters worse.

Xavi Hernandez's men were expected to come up with a strong response following their defeat in the league but fell to a shocking loss in their final group stage game.

This situation has drastically affected the trust Barcelona's board have in Xavi as the manager. Joan Laporta had initially gone against multiple board members to appoint the Spaniard but the situation could potentially be flipped due to the results in recent times.

Laporta had vowed to back Xavi and maintain the stability even through tough times when he appointed the 43-year-old but things could take a turn now.

Meanwhile, the manager maintains that he has good ties with Joan Laporta and the Barcelona board. He also delivered a reminder of the progress the team has made during his tenure. (via Mundo Deportivo)

"We have to be self-critical, but we are alive. We have to think about where we came from. I think we are much better mentally than last year.

"Today we spent two hours talking with Deco and President Laporta. There is no problem inside. I’m fine, positive. It is not that I am in a bad situation."

Barcelona are currently fourth in La Liga with 34 points, five points behind Real Madrid and seven points behind league-leaders Girona.

They will travel to the Mestalla Stadium to face Valencia in their next game on December 16 as Xavi will look to guide his team to a win.

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Lazio manager Maurizio Sarri expresses wish to face Barcelona in UCL knockouts

Maurizio Sarri has been known to be one of the most interesting characters in football. Besides being renowned for his unique style of football, Sarri is also known for his interesting press-conferences and chewing of cigarette butts on the sidelines.

Speaking to Sky Sports in an interview recently, the Lazio boss made a bold claim that he would be keen on his team drawing Barcelona in the UCL knockouts.

"I’d like to face Barcelona at UCL round of 16, honestly.

“It’d be my pick as I’ve never faced Barça as a coach and it’d be wonderful experience."

Despite being 10th in Serie A in an awful start to the season, Lazio comfortably qualified for the knockouts as runners-up in Group E. They earned 10 points, four less than group winners Atletico Madrid.

Barca, on the other hand, topped Group H owing to a superior head-to-head record against second-placed FC Porto, with both clubs finishing with 12 points.

The draw for the Champions League round of 16 will take place in Nyon, Switzerland on December 18.