Barcelona head coach, Xavi Hernandez, was tight-lipped when asked to shed light on his alleged Munich meeting with Borussia Dortmund superstar, Erling Haaland earlier this week, when fielding questions from the press ahead of the Blaugrana’s yesterday clash with Elche in La Liga.
“I can’t disclose details, but I can only say that we are working for the present and the future of the club,” Xavi answered when probed on the subject. “I can’t say any more, when I can we will be the first to say it. For example, yesterday we announced Pablo Torre’s arrival.”
“We are a team, with the president in charge, Mateu Alemany, Jordi Cruyff,” Xavi added later when pushed on his role in player recruitment. “They trust me a lot.”
“I don’t decide things alone, no one decides unilaterally,” Xavi insisted. “It is a group and I am all about the team, about asking questions, everyone having an opinion and then deciding. My role is decisive, but it is not I alone. It is about presenting the project to a player, the style of play and not tricking him, the city as well.
“The most important thing is that I have not seen a single player who has said ‘no’ to Barcelona,” Xavi concluded, in the most important part of his speech. “Of course there are different circumstances, but it makes all the players feel excited at the idea of joining.”
Xavi’s point is supported by 18-year-old prodigy Torre – who Xavi described as a “natural talent” who can “play in midfield, wide” and is “two-footed” while having “a great final ball” – over Real Madrid.
Though Barca is mired in over $1.5bn’s worth of debt, the consolidation of Spanish talent in the first team squad which boasts internationals such as Gavi, Pedri, Eric Garcia, Sergio Busquets and Ferran Torres to name but a few makes Xavi’s side the perfect place to be seen by national team coach Luis Enrique.
