"Possession, positioning, pressure, and perception"! These are the four "Ps" that underpin the philosophy of the former Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez, who has played over 1,000 professional matches. Deeply influenced by Pep Guardiola's style of play, with whom he notably won two Champions Leagues (2009 and 2011), the Catalan spoke about his coaching principles to the American media outlet The Athletic : "To win the match, you need to have possession of the ball. You need good positions. If you lose the ball, you have to press. And you have to have the perception necessary to know what's going on around you, to understand the game." These pillars have already proven their worth, as the world champion won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup during the 2022-2023 season with Barça, as well as six trophies during his time with the club. Qatari Al-Sadd SC (2019-2021). Before adding a fifth "P" to his reflection: "Passion! Without passion, you can't play football." And taking FC Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado as an example: "He may not be the most talented player, but he has so much passion that he can play for a club like Barça."
Brief
Xavi Hernandez was a player with FC Barcelona from 1998 to 2015, and then coach between 2021 and 2024 / ©Icon Sport