FC Barcelona are on course to reclaim domestic glory by winning La Liga title, and a major part in this achievement has been played by Xavi Hernandez. In addition to his game management and tactics, his player management has also been essential in allowing the club to get into this strong position.
Xavi’s player management has been highly important this season, as he has effectively utilized even the fringe players to get results in the league. He communicates with his players very frequently, and motivates them to give their best for the club, gives credit when a player plays well, and is also not shy to not reprimand a player when his performances fall below the expected standards.
This coaching style has been particularly apparent in the case of Raphinha and Kounde. Raphinha had been going through a rough patch recently, but Xavi motivated the player and set him a target of getting to double digits in goals scored and assisted, which has already been met by the player. In the club’s last match against Real Betis, the Brazilian scored a goal and gave an assist to mark a memorable performance against a strong Spanish side.
Similarly, the coach also convinced Kounde to give his best performance while playing out of his natural position. The Frenchman prefers to play in the center of the defense, but owing to the lack of a reliable natural right back, Xavi needs his services on the flank.
After a few lackluster performances in this position, Xavi was able to bring the best out of Kounde on the flank in the match against Betis. In this match, Kounde gave good performances in both attacking and defending contexts and also gave an assist for Lewandowski’s goal.
Thus, Xavi’s man management is one of his strengths, which has allowed his Barcelona team to get to the top of La Liga, with almost the certainty of winning the prestigious tournament. This ability is expected to come in handy for the club for the coming years as well, as Xavi is reported to be retained in the dugout for the coming seasons.
