New Barcelona manager Xavi has defined his immediate goals to help the side get back on track and challenge for trophies again.
The club legend wants to put rules in place while keeping the core ethos of their football the same, harking back to the days of the legendary Johan Cruyff.
“I think at first, it’s important that we put rules in place and be more demanding with ourselves. After that, we can talk about values, respect, and attitude, because if we don’t have values, we don’t have a team. Then we can look at the model, how we play, how we attack, how we defend. At the end of the day, the idea is the same as [Johan] Cruyff’s. My first defender is the striker, and my first attacker is the goalkeeper. We have to work tactically, press high and dominate the ball.
“It’s not about being tough, but having rules. I will try to help the players, personally and professionally. I know how taxing it is psychologically to play for this club,” said Xavi in his first interaction with the press as Barcelona manager.
Xavi revealed that he rejected the Barca job on two occasions when he was the manager of Qatari’s side of Al Sadd. He also disclosed that he was offered a role in the Brazilian coaching staff as assistant to head coach, Tite, and then become a permanent manager after next year’s World Cup. The Catalan said that he was intent on coming to Barca and wanted to join at the right moment.
The World Cup-winning star thinks that he has an advantage as Barca coach because he knows the club inside-out and is excited about the new role.
Xavi has just two-and-a-half years of experience as a manager, with his first managerial job coming at Al Sadd. The Spaniard joined the Qatari side in 2015 as a player after leaving Barca, ending a long and distinguished playing career with the Catalan side.
He was a crucial player in Barca’s European domination in the late 2000s and early 2010s, helping the side to four Champions League titles and numerous league and domestic cup titles.
But, he has a tough challenge on his hands at the club as the Catalans are in financial turmoil, which resulted in the exit of their greatest player, Lionel Messi, earlier this year, while results on the pitch have been poor. The side is currently 9th on the league table, 11 points behind leaders Real Sociedad, who have struggled in the Champions League, while they also have a huge injury list.
