Barcelona manager Xavi: Hearing the Champions League music made me angry

Barcelona manager Xavi Hernández admitted that the pain of being knocked out of the Champions League is still very raw.

The Spanish giants face Napoli in the Europa League round-of-32 first leg at Camp Nou on Thursday, taking part in the second-tier competition for the first time since 2004.

Their Champions league dream was brutally ended in the knockout stage when they finished third in their group behind Bayern Munich and Benfica, scoring just two goals in six matches.

“The [Europa League] is an opportunity for us,” Xavi said on Wednesday. “Our main aim is to get back in the Champions League next season and there are two ways to do that: Finish in the top four in La Liga or win the Europa League.

“Of course we would like to be in the Champions League. It hurts that we're not there. Hearing the Champions League music on television [on Tuesday] made me angry.

“But we're in another competition. It is still a European competition. We're not talking about the third division. It is a chance to keep growing and everyone is motivated to win a trophy that the club has never won before.”

Xavi took over as manager in November, replacing the sacked Ronald Koeman, and has had to deal with huge financial restraints with the club stating recently that €159 million ($179m) has been cut from their wage bill due to the crisis caused by the previous board's reckless spending.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen – 6. A Quiet first half until Darder’s outstanding equaliser flew past him. Could do little about the second in an intense derby with nine yellow cards, two of them red. Reuters

Barca have climbed from ninth to fourth in La Liga since Xavi's arrival, which has just reached the 100 day mark. “100 days? Sometimes it feels like 100 years because