Xavi’s full recent interview with France football.
🎙️| Xavi: “My time as manager? The club was in one of its worst periods in history, perhaps even worse than the beginning of the millennium.” “The expectations were very high because of my history with Barcelona. Maybe my deep emotional connection to the club hurt me at times.”
🎙️| Xavi: “I admit I made some mistakes in management. Busquets' departure forced us to rethink our style of play.
I chose to play with a midfield of three attacking players, but it wasn't always the best option. I feel proud to have trusted a new generation of players.”
🎙️| Xavi: “My first year and a half at Barcelona was very good. We had a project with Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff, Which allowed us to finish second in the league, and then we won the league and the Spanish Super Cup. But after that, the results declined.”
🎙️| Xavi: “When I was In Qatar, coaches like Massimiliano Allegri, Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick visited me and the coaching staff, I attended several coaching conferences, which helped me develop my coaching skills.”
🎙️| Xavi: “I love watching teams that have the ball and put pressure on the opponent when they lose it.”
“I follow Guardiola with Manchester City, Arne Slot with Liverpool, Vincent Kompany with Bayern Munich, Xabi Alonso with Leverkusen, Mikel Arteta with Arsenal.”
❓Is there a particular league that appeals to you more than others?
Xavi:
“No, I'm open. Why not coach another team in La Liga? I'm looking for an exciting project and I have the ambition to win titles. That's the main goal.”
🎙️| Xavi: “When Barcelona called me it was one of the best days of my life.”
From that moment I devoted all my time and soul to football, punctuality, discipline, nutrition. It wasn't easy being at home because my parents were very strict about these things.”
🎙️| Xavi: “The departure of Luis Figo in 2000 was a huge blow. Imagine if Lionel Messi, at the peak of his powers, had left the club after winning the Ballon d'Or to join Madrid….Figo was our captain, our best player, but he joined our eternal rival.”
🎙️| Xavi: "Louis van Gaal always believed in me, sometimes more than I believed in myself."
🎙️| Xavi: "I'm a small, light person, not particularly strong or fast, but Cruyff's style of play suited my football skills perfectly."
🎙️| Xavi: "Our 2008-2012 generation changed the history of Spanish football. This team will always be remembered."
🎙️| Xavi: "Beyond the titles, I am proud to have trusted a new generation like Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi or Alejandro Balde... They represent the future of the club."
❓Not winning the Ballon d'Or?
🎙️| Xavi: “I don't consider myself a better player than Lionel Messi or Cristiano, the Ballon d'Or winners of those years
I was a playmaker, but I didn't have the ability to win games on my own. I'm proud to have finished third three times.”
🎙️| Xavi: "Rijkaard? Frank came from the Dutch school and followed a similar approach to Cruyff. Little by little, we regained the order that we had lost during those difficult years."
🎙️| Xavi: “In 2014, I was thinking about leaving after losing La Liga at home and having a very difficult World Cup with Spain. I had an offer from New York City, and I thought it was the right time to leave at the age of 34. But Luis Enrique convinced me to stay.”
