Xavi: “Why would I not coach another LaLiga team?”

Xavi Hernández was interviewed by ‘France Football’ in what is his first public appearance after leaving Barcelona. The former Barça coach has reviewed his time at the Catalan club and offered some insight of what he hopes for the future.

Speaking about a return to a coaching position, the 45-year-old stated: “I don’t have anything in the pipeline at present, I’m open. Why not coach another team in La Liga? I’m looking for an exciting project, I have the ambition to win trophies. This is the main objective. I will actively listen to the different offers that come my way".

He also spoke about the possibility of coaching in French football: “This season I mainly saw French clubs competing in the Champions League (Paris-SG, Brest, Monaco and Lille) and also Olympique de Marseille. It is difficult to compete with PSG, who have a wonderful project and an extraordinary team... It is interesting to see what solutions Luis Enrique tries to find against the low block, which has very favourable possession in the local league.”

“I like watching teams that play football with a very distinctive style. Coaches like Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Arne Slot (Liverpool), Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich, but also the championships in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Portugal…”, he says. “I want my players to have fun, develop a brand of football that is attractive to the fans and also manages to win titles. I want to win the Champions League, the European Championship, the World Cup….”

Xavi also talked about his footballing mentors. “Cruyff had a huge impact on me, for me football is first and foremost a game. Of course the goal is to win, but that is something natural if you play well and have fun on the pitch.

The four ‘ps’

My philosophy is based on four Ps: pressure to quickly recover “our” ball, because we must assume that it is ours; possession, because if I don’t have the ball 90% of the time, I suffer; position: each player occupies an area and knows where his teammate is; and perception, that is, understanding the game and anticipating to make the best decisions. I would even add a fifth P: passion, because if the player feels fulfilled, he will experience success more naturally.”

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