The European champions thrashed Real 4-0 to set up a final with Chelsea this weekend. PSG were 3-0 ahead before halftime through a double from Fabian Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele, before Goncalo Ramos struck late in the second-half to complete the rout.
Afterwards, Xabi said: “It was a tricky situation after the first ten minutes. PSG is a project created over time and we're just starting out. It's not only because you want to be braver that you're better. There were two harsh blows and we weren't on the pitch. We needed to relax a bit and it was a shame to concede the third before half-time.
"Today, we have suffered against a team that's at a good level and we're just starting this new stage. There is a lot of margin. Today it hurts and our level wasn't good enough. This match will show us things for the future to compete at a better level than today. This is as far as we've come. We fell at the penultimate hurdle and it hurts.”
“Going 2-0 down early on is a conditioning factor. We wanted to play an intense game and after that you face it in a different way. More than the distance between the two teams is the margin we have to improve. It's the end of this season and not the start of the next. We’ll take the positives from this Club World Cup period.
"We're leaving as a better team. It's a starting point for a better start next season. I'm talking about the team and not the players. Today, we had some shortcomings and sometimes it's good to see the mistakes so that they can be useful for the future. If we repeat the same mistake over and over again, we won't be intelligent.”
I've learned many things
On what he learned from the tournament, Xabi also said: “I'm leaving with certainties. This tournament has taught me many things about what we are and what we have to improve. I'm leaving with a perspective for next year, when we will recover players and there will be changes. Next season will be different, but I'll leave with clear certainties. I take all the information that this tournament has given me. We want to build a team that plays as a unit and where everyone is involved.”
Xabi admitted the result was a surprise given the momentum built through the Club World Cup campaign.
He added, “It wasn't what we expected. It's the first defeat, but it won't be the last. Anyone who thinks they'll never lose is deluding themselves. It's what we have to do and tomorrow we start a period of rest and recharging our brains. We all need it and may it give us enough impact to get off to a good start. We can't forget today's game, but we can't let this game drag us down either.
“We were hurt by the 2-0 and coming back from that isn't easy. We tried not to go crazy, but with the third goal it was even more difficult. It wasn't only the pressure but also the fluidity of the game. We can learn a lot from it.”