Xavi opens up: his time at Barça, the youth of La Masia, and his future

Xavi Hernández spoke candidly in an interview with 'France Football'. The former coach of FC Barcelona broke his silence about his time on the bench at Spotify Camp Nou, his career as a player and his future plans, considering his time in charge of the blue and garnet team as positive and highlighting his commitment to the 'gems' of La Masia who have already established themselves as the present and future of the club.

"Looking back, our balance - I include my coaching staff - is very positive, because the club was in one of the worst situations in its history, even worse than at the beginning of the 2000s. The expectations were very high based on my history. My deep attachment to Barça has sometimes played against me; perhaps I have been too sentimental at times, but this adventure has been a true learning experience," the Egarense began.

"I acknowledge that I made some management mistakes. Tactically, the departure of Busquets forced us to rethink our game. I then opted for a midfield with three attacking players, which did not always yield results," he added.

However, Xavi revealed that, aside from the titles, his greatest achievement as coach of Barça was having given debut to the young talents who, today, are stars of the first team. "Beyond the titles, I am proud to have placed my trust in a new generation, Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde... These young players embody the future of the club," he commented.

Xavi's signing for Barça

Regarding his return to Spotify Camp Nou as coach, Hernández revealed that "Barça had come to look for me twice before Laporta's call, but I did not feel ready yet. I came from two and a half seasons at Al Sadd during which I was able to train, try things, and win titles. Order had to be established. My first year and a half at Barça was very, very good."

"We had a good project with Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff, which allowed us to finish second in La Liga, before winning it in 2023, as well as the Supercopa de España. Then the results were less favorable. The departure of Jordi and Mateu was a hard blow," the Egarense stated.

Despite his complicated departure from the club, the Terrassa native maintained that "I am privileged; I have surpassed my childhood dreams" and expressed gratitude because "wherever I go in the world, people remember my time at Barça, the national team, and the World Cup title."

Xavi's future on the sidelines and the Ballon d'Or

After taking a sabbatical year, Xavi is preparing to return to the sidelines next season. Regarding this, the coach confessed that "I have nothing set in stone; I am open.  Why not coach another team in La Liga?". The Egarense also revealed that "I am looking for an exciting project; I have the ambition to win trophies. I will listen to the different offers." In fact, he left the door open to some national teams, stating that "I want to win the Champions League, the Euro, the World Cup...".

Finally, regarding his nominations for the Ballon d'Or and that historic trio he formed with Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta, Xavi recalled that "I am proud to have finished third three times (my best ranking in 2009, 2010, and 2011), even though an official Bronze Ball is not awarded.  What a pity; I would love for France Football to give me some to display in my museum! (Laughter)".

"That photo with my friends Andrés and Leo is historic, incredible. For me, it is the victory of a philosophy, a unique recognition of our style and our heritage", he concluded.