FC Barcelona are facing arguably the greatest crisis of the club’s esteemed history as deep-rooted financial troubles have thrown the Catalan giants into turmoil.
Their talisman, Lionel Messi – who had spent his entire career at Camp Nou – left before the start of this season for Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and Barcelona are struggling in both La Liga and the Champions League.
They currently sit eighth in the Spanish topflight and are second in their Champions’ League group; neither position is one their legions of fans are particularly thrilled with. Despite their previous success in the competition, Barcelona are not one of the betting favourites to win the Champions League this season. Many bookmakers offering bets on the Champions League currently have Premier League team Manchester City as the favourite to win this seasons tournament.
Barcelona under new management
Last month, the club unveiled their new manager, Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez. The 41-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time and, with Barcelona, won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies.
He retired as a player in 2019, after spending four seasons with Qatar-based Al Sadd, and then became manager of that same club. He led them to, yet another league title and they dominated almost every other team they came up against.
In fairness, Xavi was working with – by far – the strongest squad in Qatar, but his man-management and pressing tactics undoubtedly worked well.
His appointment as Barcelona manager was met with almost overwhelming positivity among fans of the club. He was even afforded an official unveiling at Camp Nou, with almost 10,000 fans in attendance.
They sang chants, held up flags and celebrated the return of Xavi to the club, highlighting just how important he remains to Barcelona. Of course, he was the prime exponent of the tiki-taka football that made them one of the greatest ever teams in history.
Xavi’s legacy at Barcelona
Xavi was one of the finest passers of the ball the sport has ever seen and would always be playing for possession; this is how Barca was able to dominate so many teams and competitions under the guidance of manager Pep Guardiola.
He not only stuck to these tactics on the pitch, but he was also a staunch supporter of them off of it. In interviews, he would frequently talk up the high-possession, quick-passing nature of the team’s style, praising Guardiola for his strategies.
Indeed, it’s this style of football that Xavi imprints on teams as a manager, too. With Al Sadd, he developed a culture of dominating possession and constantly pressing opponents, even when off the ball.
This requires high levels of fitness and endurance, something that Xavi is well aware of and ensures he gets from all his players. Since taking over at Barcelona, he has spoken of “rules” that need to be followed; nothing draconian, but systems in place for players to adhere to in order to perform at their best.
How Xavi could impact Barcelona
Xavi’s vision for the teams he manages is a clear one; never relent. If they lose the ball, they are straight back onto the opposing players in order to win it. His are teams that thrive in chaos and frenetic energy, overwhelming other teams with speed and precision.
At Al Sadd, he moved the team away from relying on individual stars to a more cohesive unit that worked as a collective, much like the Barcelona side he was a part of for so many years. Yes, they had the likes of Messi or Ronaldinho, but the team always worked as one.
The Barcelona of today still includes some of the world’s best players, and it might take someone with Xavi’s experience as a player and shared DNA with the club to bring out the performances they require.
Former manager Ronald Koeman has proven himself an excellent head coach, but he was clearly not the right fit at Camp Nou.
Xavi, however, is Barca through and through. As a manager, he has shown that he can handle a packed squad (as he did at Al Sadd) ensuring that big names are able to shine but also providing young up-and-comers with opportunities to grow.
He has a clear vision of what he wants from every position on the pitch, meaning he is well-suited to the task of rotating players and handling a deep roster of talent.
Crucially, Xavi knows what it takes to succeed at the elite level. He did so as a player for many years and played alongside, and against, titans of modern football. His reintroduction to Barcelona could be the shot in the arm the club has needed during their recent turmoil.
So far, he hasn’t set the world alight as Barcelona manager but there are certainly signs of hope for the club. A recent goalless draw with Benfica in the Champions League was frustrating, but it was followed by a comprehensive league win over Villareal.
Barcelona still have a long way to go if they want to even come close to reaching the heights of even just a few years ago, but the appointment of Xavi as manager seems to have been a step in the right direction.
He is fiercely passionate about the club and knows how to nurture fast-flowing attacking football at the highest levels; now the world is watching to see if he can turn things around.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about FC Barcelona
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
