Since taking over the position of head coach at FC Barcelona, Xavi has helped the Catalan club regain some of its lost glory. The club had been particularly struggling to win trophies a year or two before Xavi was appointed as the head coach, and under his guidance, the Blaugranes won the La Liga title once again last summer.
However, the Catalan club has been the home to far more successful managers over its history, and one of the most decorated of these managers is Pep Guardiola, under whom Xavi himself spent a considerable time of his career as a player.
After leaving Barcelona, Guardiola has tasted success elsewhere on the continent and won a treble with his Manchester City side only last season.
Comparisons with Manchester City
Keeping in view Pep Guardiola’s history at Barcelona and his success at Manchester City, comparisons are naturally drawn between how Barcelona is operating today and how it was operating under Guardiola.
This issue also came up in Xavi’s press conference before the Real Betis match, as noted by SPORT. Xavi highlighted the differences between being a coach at Manchester City and being a coach at Barcelona:
“You won’t judge me by my work. There is not the same patience. City and other clubs have nothing to do with Barcelona. I am sure Pep knows that. The level of demand, stress, the need to win. It is different here. This is a huge club and you will demand that I win.”
Results or style?
While keeping to this topic, Xavi went on to comment on another topic that has been relevant for footballing experts and amateurs alike: whether style or results should be the first priority of a coach:
“Winning is a consequence of a style. There have been very good matches, others not so good. Some we played well but didn’t get the result. In Munich, for example. You told me this was about winning.”
Before concluding, Xavi once again emphasized how important it was to win almost every match at Barcelona:
“This is Barcelona. We understand that winning comes from playing well. Here, there isn’t as much patience, I know that.”
While this was not said explicitly, Xavi’s comments also provide a window into how much a FC Barcelona coach has to deal with the media, in addition to keeping his bosses, fans, and players happy. Xavi has been doing a good job in all these regards, and hopefully can build further upon on his successes at his beloved club.
