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BARCELONA

Xavi dreams of coaching Neymar and Messi at Barcelona

The Al Sadd manager and former Barcelona player had a chat on Instagram on ‘roadto2022es’ with Samuel Eto’o and he revealed his wishes as a manager.

BarcelonaUpdate:
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 23:  Xavi Hernandez of FC Barcelona applauds as he leaves the pitch during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and RC Deportivo La Coruna at Camp Nou on May 23, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain.  (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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Alex CaparrosDIARIO AS

Xavi, the current Al Sadd manager and former Barcelona player, spoke with his former teammate Samuel Eto'o on Instagram recently. They reminisced about their experiences together and spoke about the type of football they like with Xavi expressing his desire to return to Barcelona to coach Messi and Neymar one day.

Philosophy: "I like the teams who don't sit back, who dominate games. I understand football as a spectacle. My way is to play on the attack. I want possession, to have the ball, to be the protagnist of play."

Real Madrid's style: "Real Madrid apply a mixed style. They can defend in low blocks and press high. They are always a very competitive side. It's weird what happened to them last year."

Neymar: "Football-wise, he is among the three or five best in the world. I hope that he returns to Barcelona. He was his teammate. He would add a lot. A positive character. It would be an extraordinary signing to become a difference-maker."

Barcelona offer: "In January, it wasn't the right moment. We had conversations with Abidal and Oscar Grau. I had a very important proposal but I needed a little bit more experience. Training Barcelona are some big words. I want to be there and it;s my dream to coach Barça."

Messi: "He has five or six years left in him yet. He looks after himself. I see Leo playing in another World Cup. I am sure of it. Training Messi would be huge, we are speaking about the best player of all time."

Strikers for Barcelona: "Mané and Aubemayang can kill you in open space. But Barcelona need players who know how to move in small spaces. I am thinking about player who would adapt to Barcelona and it's not easy to find one. Samuel Eto'o was perfect as is Luis Suàrez right now.