"I make gestures because I'm passionate" - Barcelona boss Xavi reacts to his 'unfair' red card against Atletico Madrid

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez reacted to his sending-off during his side's 3-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday (March 17). The tactician felt the red card was unfair and unnecessary, but was glad to see his team register another important victory.

Barcelona travelled to the Wanda Metropolitano to take on Atletico Madrid for the second time this season. Refusing to throw in the towel on their quest to defend their league title, the Catalan giants brought out their A-game, delivering a resounding performance that resulted in an emphatic 3-0 victory.

Unfortunately, Xavi couldn't witness all of the magic as he was sent off in the first half due to his gestures on the touchline. Speaking to DAZN Espana after the game, the Spaniard poured out his feelings on the subject, saying:

"The least important thing is the sending off. The fourth official told me it's because of the gestures [I made]. I make gestures because I'm passionate. The sending off was unnecessary and unfair, but the important thing is the team."

The win over Atletico meant that Barcelona completed the week on a perfect note. Before dismantling Atletico Madrid, the Catalan giants had beaten Napoli 3-1 to secure their passage into the Champions League quarterfinals and Xavi had nothing but praise for his men.

"We've been brilliant. It was a similar game to the one against Napoli. Robert [Lewandowski] has been very active. Fermin [Lopez], Joao [Felix] ... We found the third man. It was an ideal match of our philosophy of play. The work we did went perfectly," he said.

Xavi's side have now climbed to the second position in La Liga table with 64 points in 29 games. They currently trail leaders Real Madrid by eight points.

PSG keeping tabs on Barcelona trio ahead of summer

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) are reportedly monitoring three of Barcelona's key players as they look forward to the summer transfer window. According to a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes, the trio of Frenkie de Jong, Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have all appeared on the Parisians' radar.

The story claims that the Ligue 1 giants have been monitoring the three players in action for a while now, and their representatives were present during their 3-1 victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the three players have proven vital to Xavi's side this season.