'The difference is we competed this time. We'll try again next year': Xavi

"It's a big frustration, a pity because we were so excited. But we were facing a great opponent," Xavi said after Barcelona's 2-1 away loss to Manchester United.

"We have been much better than last season. We have shown character, we have played against strong teams like Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, and now Manchester United. We'll try again next year.

"The difference with last year is that this year we competed. We competed against Inter and Bayern and today against Manchester United. They are a great team and it is difficult to compete against them. We should come back stronger next year."

For all his good work domestically, Xavi has so far been incapable of managing games against tougher opponents in Europe. With him at the helm, Barca have been eliminated twice from the Champions League and twice from Europa League while managing just four wins in 16 matches.