Xavi Hernández gives this Sunday an interview with La Vanguardia, one of the first after saying no to Barça last January when the azulgrana club dismissed Valverde like first trainer of the azulgrana group. Xavi gets wet. He reiterates his desire to train Barça, to work with Puyol and Jordi Cruyff and to sign players capable of unbalancing and making differences like Neymar. These are the most prominent topics that he attacks in the interview.
His ideal Barça if he trained now: “Much of the squad seems extraordinary to me. Starting with the goalkeeper, who seems to me the best in the world; Jordi Alba, for me, is the best left-back in the world; Piqué, the best center-back in the world; Busquets, best midfielder defensive player in the world, and Messi, the best player in the world. And, if you add Suárez, De Jong and Arthur, they seem to me footballers to win ten more years at Barça. The base is very good. Neymar: I don't know if he would fit in for the social issue, but footballically I have no doubts that it would be a spectacular signing. Barça already has a game inside … but they lack extremes like Bayern does. They don't need many new ones: Jadon Sancho, Serge Gnabry… “
Who would I work with at Barça: “I would like to work together with people in whom I have confidence, with whom there is loyalty, and who are very valid people. There cannot be anyone toxic near the dressing room. We are talking about Carles Puyol, who was captain of Barça, and Jordi Cruyff, Very good businessman and with a lot of experience in the technical secretary. I am very team, I do not want to decide alone. Here, we make the decisions with the staff … it is a horizontal structure, of consensus. Although then the last word corresponds to me.
With which directive would you feel most comfortable at Barça: “Obviously I would like to be very in tune with everyone. In the locker room there can be no negative, toxic, and the medical issue is important … everything has to fit in. I would like to enter with people from my surroundings to form a good team. It would not be definitive, but I insist that I would like to have total attunement. I do not know if this ideality can occur … I have nothing against anyone, what is more, I do not have a bad relationship with Bartomeu, I get along well with Laporta and Víctor Font and I We are friends, I will be with anyone who loves Barça well.
Play in the national team and feel like a Spanish or Catalan independence movement: “Playing in the National Team was a pride. I have never hidden. The political issue and injustices burst me, but it has nothing to do with it. All my life I wanted to go to the Spanish National Team and I am very honored. Of course I have no nothing against Spain, Spain has given me a lot. And it has treated me very well. What seems to me an injustice is that people have not been able to vote in a legal referendum. It lets people decide their future, which also it manifests itself peacefully. I have only spoken in this regard. In favor of the freedom of the people, not against Spain. “