Xavi warned his Barcelona players they cannot assume the title is theirs even if they beat Real Madrid in Sunday's Clasico.
Barca welcome Madrid to Camp Nou for the second LaLiga Clasico of the season, and it comes at a potentially pivotal moment.
The Blaugrana are already nine points clear at LaLiga's summit, meaning anything other than a Madrid win will likely have the Spanish media proclaiming Barca as champions.
Even if Barca do lose, there will still likely be a fair amount of optimism at Camp Nou, given no team have ever led by as many as nine points at this stage of the season and failed to win the title.
Xavi recognises the importance of Sunday's contest, but he is not convinced by suggestions it is decisive – for either team.
"If we win, it would be a knock [for Madrid] in the table," he said.
"It wouldn't be definitive, but it would be a strong blow. Whatever happens, I think nothing will be decided [on Sunday].
"We train naturally, knowing we have a great opportunity. If we win, we will take a very important step to win the league.
"We are very motivated. For some players, it would be the first league title. We prepared for the match, no matter how important it is."
Sunday's game will be the second instalment in a run of three Clasicos in just over a month, with Barca winning 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey on March 2; the second leg of that semi-final is set for April 5.
Their meeting earlier this month had a peculiar feel to it, with Real Madrid recording 64.7 per cent possession, a high for them in Clasicos since at least the 2013-14 season. At the same time, Barcelona's 35.3 per cent possession was their lowest in a single match in any competition over the same period.
Although Barca did win that game, Xavi wants to see an improvement.
"Personally, I would like us to have a little more possession of the ball than in the Copa," he said.
"We are preparing the game in a certain way. We will try to have more control than in the last Clasico, have more of the ball and be protagonists with it.
"I see Madrid as very strong, they have improved a lot physically since January. I suppose it will be a closely contested game.
"The Clasicos are unpredictable, you never know what they will bring. We have prepared well; we have prepared many aspects. We hope Camp Nou will be a pressure cooker for them."
Of course, being able to call upon the ball-playing abilities of Pedri would help Barca retain possession.
However, the Spain international will be absent again on Sunday due to a persistent hamstring injury, with Xavi unwilling to risk him.
"We knew there was risk [with Pedri]," Xavi continued. "[On Friday] he didn't feel 100 per cent, and if you're not in good shape, the best thing you can do is recover well.
"We talked to him and told him that he didn't have to force himself. It's an important game, but it's not a great final. We don't want to lose Pedri for two more months.
"We have played well without [Robert] Lewandowski, without Pedri, without [Ousmane] Dembele, without Gavi... We have done it.
"People keep talking about the first leg of the Copa semi-final, but that's the only game in which we've not had possession.
"It's clear: a match in which we are dominated will not change our mentality. From the first day that I am here, we have worked in a very concrete way."
Tottenham chief Paratici faces uncertain future after ban extended worldwide by FIFA
Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici's future at the club has been cast into doubt after his ban by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was extended worldwide by FIFA.
Paratici was one of 11 individuals connected with Juventus who were issued with bans by the FIGC in January after the club was found guilty of false accounting in relation to transfer dealings.
Juventus were also docked 15 points as part of the punishment.
Paratici and Juventus denied any wrongdoing, with an appeal against the initial sanctions imposed by the FIGC to be heard by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) on April 19.
Despite his 30-month ban, Spurs director Paratici was able to continue his role with the Premier League club because the suspension only applied to Italian Football.
However, FIFA confirmed on Wednesday the bans handed out by the FIGC have been extended worldwide, meaning Paratici will be unable to fulfil his duties at Spurs unless his appeal is successful.
A widely reported FIFA statement read: "FIFA can confirm that following a request by the FIGC, the chairperson of the FIFA disciplinary committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by the FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect."
The news comes just three days after the sacking of Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, with the Italian leaving after 17 months in charge.
Paratici, who would have likely played an important in appointing Conte’s replacement, appeared in a video on Tuesday outlining Spurs' plans for the rest of the season and describing the decision to fire the former Inter and Chelsea coach as "the right decision."
Fati's father wants son to leave Barcelona despite Ansu's wish to stay
Ansu Fati wants to stay at Barcelona, but his father has other ideas.
The 20-year-old, who has been with the club for a decade, has made 38 appearances in all competitions this season but 27 of them have come as a substitute.
Bori Fati – who manages his son alongside agent Jorge Mendes – has been left angered by the situation and believes the winger deserves more minutes for Xavi's side.
"If it was up to me, I would take him [to another team] but [Ansu] wants to stay at Barcelona," Bori Fati told Spanish outlet Cope.
"He does not want to sign for another club, but I want to see him succeed. As a dad, I am angry.
"Seeing Ansu play so little winds you up a little bit, and sometimes I think as a father, not a coach."
Fati, who has scored six goals this season, is under a long-term contract with Barca, who are 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga.
And despite his father's wish, Fati has previously stated his desire to remain with Barcelona, where he feels at home.
"I'm under contract with Barcelona until June 2027, and I hope to stay here for many more years," he said in February.
"I feel grateful and lucky to play for Barca and I have to thank the people who support me daily for their backing."
The situation led to Bori calling a meeting with Barcelona sporting director Mateu Alemany, and agent Mendes.
Alemany reassured him of his son's role at the club, though Bori remains unconvinced the situation will change.
"I called Mateu," said Bori. "He told us that Ansu is part of the club's heritage, and they have bet big on him.
"As a dad, I think differently, maybe I am wrong. He is your franchise player, the number 10, he took [that number] on when no one was ready to take it from [Lionel] Messi.
"What annoys me is how they're treating him in terms of minutes. One minute, two, three.
"I am not asking for him to be a starter, because all the forwards at the club are phenomenal, but we are talking about Ansu Fati, of Spain and Barcelona, who came through La Masia."
It is now at the point where Bori no longer wants to visit Camp Nou to watch his son play.
"If it carries on like this, I will go [back] to [the family home in] Seville and that's that," said Bori.
"I didn't go to the game against [Real] Madrid. I won't go to the stadium anymore.
"The other day Ansu asked me why I didn't go, he thought I was there. I told him I didn't fancy it."
Conte's Spurs exit no surprise to Vieri: 'He goes into conflict with everyone'
Tottenham should not have been surprised by how Antonio Conte's time at the club ended as he "goes into conflict with everyone", says Christian Vieri.
Conte joined Spurs in November 2021 after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo and guided the north London club to a top-four Premier League finish at the end of his first season.
Despite sitting fourth again this season, performances under Conte were hugely inconsistent with Spurs falling to disappointing exits in the Champions League and FA Cup in recent weeks.
Following an explosive press conference in which the Italian labelled his players "selfish", he left the club on Sunday.
However, the breakdown in relations between Conte and the club was something former Juventus, Inter and Italy striker Vieri was expecting.
"Antonio goes into conflict with everyone, it's his character," he told Corriere della Sera.
"If you take him, you can't expect someone who shuts up and everything is fine with him. He is always on the edge, it's his way of being; you can like it or not, you know who you get.
"Every two years does he fight with everyone? Yes. Does he always leave with problems? Yes.
"You know he's demanding, serious, and it's hard to have him in your club, he doesn't let you sleep peacefully.
"They are choices. There are coaches like Conte and Mourinho who hammer at all hours, put pressure and always demand the best.
"And then there are those who are fine with anything, they stay there. Everyone trains and sees football in their own way, and it doesn't mean that this or that coach is right."
Conte's former assistant Cristian Stellini is set to take charge of Tottenham alongside Ryan Mason until the end of the season.
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