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Xavi: 'Real Madrid do not want to play attractive football'

Xavi:
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Xavi insists that Real Madrid are unable to play 'beautiful football' in the same way as Barcelona as they too often go for a more direct approach.

Barcelona legend Xavi has criticised Real Madrid's style of play by insisting that they have not evolved down the years.

Long-serving midfielder Xavi was part of the famed Barca side that won countless honours between 2008 and 2011, coinciding with Jose Mourinho's arrival at the Bernabeu.

The former Spain international claims that Real simply do not want to play 'beautiful football', accusing Los Blancos of often taking a more direct approach to the opponents' net.

"Barcelona is the final exam for a player," he told El Pais. "It is the most difficult club and the most demanding in the world. Madrid do not play so beautifully. At the Bernabeu, if a defender hoofs the ball into the stand it is fine. That is the culture. The fans applaud.

"At the Camp Nou you knock the ball into the stand and the grumbles are so loud it is negative. Since [Johan] Cruyff's time. Mourinho's Madrid hit the ball direct over the top. Mourinho told his players never to stop the ball, to play quickly and then [Angel] Di Maria, Cristiano [Ronaldo] or [Karim] Benzema would break.

"Now they do it with [Gareth] Bale. Real don't want to play football. Madrid break apart, seven players attack and Casemiro stays back on his own to cover the centre. [Sergio] Busquets cannot do that as even I am faster than he is. Casemiro is super fast, but he has trouble with everything else as he has not worked on it.

"He has other characteristics, is more defensive, makes more tackles, covers more ground, but he does not dominate space-time. If you had started with Casemiro aged 12, 13, 15, then he would have that."

Xavi now plies his trade for Qatari side Al Sadd, having brought his Barcelona career to an end in 2015.

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Barcelona forward Lionel Messi celebrates scoring during his side's Champions League group game against Juventus at the Camp Nou on September 12, 2017
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid33266171224984
2Barcelona33227468392973
3GironaGirona33225669402971
4Atletico MadridAtletico33204962392364
5Athletic Bilbao341710755332261
6Real Sociedad331312846351151
7Real BetisBetis33121384139249
8Valencia33138123738-147
9Villarreal33129125455-145
10Getafe341013114147-643
11Osasuna33116163749-1239
12AlavesAlaves33108153138-738
13Sevilla33911134246-438
14Las PalmasLas Palmas33107163041-1137
15Rayo Vallecano33713132742-1534
16Mallorca33614132739-1232
17Celta Vigo33710163750-1331
18CadizCadiz33414152346-2326
19Granada3349203661-2521
RAlmeria33111213267-3514


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