The coach of FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernandeznipped in the bud any type of controversy with the Paris Saint-Germain coach, his former coach at Barça Luis Enrique Martínez, after the Asturian said that Barça has more spirit than Terrassa, and assured that both are looking for the same thing; win by looking for the Barça DNA they share.
“I’ve seen it. Well, it’s Luis Enrique. You know him, I know him, I have a very good personal relationship. All the respect in the world. For me he is one of the best coaches in the world and he has a team made to win the Champions League. “He is a difficult rival, we are both looking for the same thing and from Barça DNA we can boast that Luis Enrique is Barça DNA,” Xavi said at a press conference.
“Luis Enrique and I are looking for the same thing. Maybe I surpass him in thefts by 1 percent or something, but we are both looking for the same thing. There is no controversy, no debate. Ask him tomorrow, again,” he added in this sense, in response to these statements by Luis Enrique in the morning: “I am the maximum representative of the Barça style. Look at the data on possession, titles, and high blood pressure. Without a doubt, me.”
Still on the Barça style debate, Xavi went further. “Also Guardiola, Arteta and us. Four coaches in the ‘Champions’ quarters have Barça DNA. There is no need to discuss who has more, we are looking for the same thing, which is that Barça DNA,” he reiterated.
So, for Xavi Hernández, this duel is not between coaches. “It is not a duel between Luis Enrique and me. It’s a duel between PSG and Barça. The footballers are the main protagonists and everything will depend on what they do on the field. Without any doubt,” he concluded.
Thinking back, looking at Xavi’s last year at Barça, with Luis Enrique as coach, he celebrated that it ended in a treble. “It was a difficult year at the beginning, then everything was straightened out in an incredible way. Knowing that it was my last year, I had the hope that it would end well and it ended in a great way, with a triplet and lifting the ‘Champions’ as captain. Extraordinary. And with a very good relationship with Lucho from captain to coach. I tried to help him as much as possible and I think I helped him in a difficult time. I remember it with pride,” Xavi revealed.
And, on the other hand, he does not see Barça as a favorite, no matter how much Lucho believes so. “It’s not a strategy, I really think that PSG is a favorite. They have taken Dembélé from us, they have a great teamThey are a team made to win the Champions League and that is their main objective. They are from Qatar and I know them well. Not ours, we are a team under construction,” recalled the one from Terrassa.
“It is not a strategy that will help, I really think they are the favorites. I won Barça’s last ‘Champions’ as a player (in 2015). We are not favorites, no. But, after four years without being in the quarterfinals ‘Champions’, the word is illusion. I believe that the power to dream has been generated and that there is enthusiasm,” he celebrated. “We are motivated, I think we arrived at the best moment of the season, but in front of us we have a team made to win the ‘Champions’ and we are facing one of the best coaches in the world, Luis Enrique. With all the humility, enthusiasm and desire to compete and have a good eliminatory to be in the semi-finals”, valued the ‘culer’ coach.
Asked about PSG’s star striker, the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, pointed out that “the entire squad is in danger.” “Your team’s top scorer is Mbappé and you have to be better than ever defensively. In transitions, PSG is one of the best in the world and you have to be very brilliant in this aspect,” he recalled.
Regarding his team’s losses, he believes that Pedri and Frenkie de Jong They will, at least, be at your disposal despite not yet being medically discharged. “I’m positive, all those who have traveled, barring surprises, may be available for tomorrow and then we will choose the eleven. But, at the level of availability, I imagine that all those who have traveled (except Gavi, who accompanies the team),” he celebrated .
One of the absences, but since the summer, is Ousmane Dembélé who was Xavi’s ‘right eye’ at Barça but who decided not to renew to sign for PSG. “We sent messages as soon as the draw ended, that we would see each other in Paris. I wish him the best, I have esteem for him. He unilaterally decided to come, it was a challenge for him. That’s why I think they are favorites, because they took us out in summer to one of the best players,” Xavi reiterated.
On a personal level, beating PSG and getting into the semi-finals is a “challenge” and a “responsibility.” “I see Barcelona fans with great enthusiasm, there is a lot of desire to see the team. We arrived at the best moment, competing very well and with lively footballers. It makes me optimistic, but in front of us we have one of the best teams in the world with one of the best coaches. It is a challenge for me and for the footballers, the main protagonists,” he said.
“I face these quarterfinals with motivation and being a tremendous challenge. But I don’t see it as something personal. I wish and am excited for Barça to be in the semifinals, not that Xavi is in the semifinals. It’s not a matter of ego. It’s something collective,” Xavi concluded.
2024-04-09 18:03:33
#Luis #Enrique #Barça #DNA
