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Xavi opens door to Barcelona return?

Xavi opens door to Barcelona return?
© Reuters
Barcelona legend Xavi insists that he would have have no problem managing his former teammates at Camp Nou.

Barcelona legend Xavi has insisted that he would have have no problem managing his former teammates at Camp Nou, potentially hinting at a return to the Catalan giants as head coach.

The Spanish champions have made their worst start to a La Liga campaign since 1994-95, with Saturday's 2-0 loss at Granada leaving them in eighth position in the table.

Ernesto Valverde's future as head coach is believed to be far from secure, and Xavi has seemingly opened the door on a return to the club as a staff member.

"I don't know if it will be a bridge to Barca," Xavi told Ara. "The only thing that worries me now is doing well here, winning titles and making mistakes in some aspects to learn for the future.

"It wouldn't be a problem [to manage former teammates]. I know what Leo [Lionel Messi] is like, and Luis [Suarez], Sergio Busquets, Jordi [Alba], [Gerard] Pique or Sergi [Roberto].

"I know how they train, their capacity for leadership, I can tell if they are sad or angry. I hope as a coach I could have three, five, eight or 10 players that I already knew and that I already had a good relationship with.

"[Messi] is a player who, if you convince him, he can even be a brilliant defender. He has physical and mental speed. He has everything. If you convince him to run, what will the others do? They will run twice as much. The problem in the midfield is that nobody is doing any defensive work, so they suffer when they have to retreat."

Xavi, who is currently in charge of Al-Sadd in Qatar, won eight La Liga titles, three Copas del Rey and four Champions League crowns during his time with Barca.

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Lionel Messi in action for Barcelona on September 17, 2019
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Barcelona13110240122833
2Real Madrid1283125111427
3Atletico MadridAtletico137511971226
4Villarreal127322319424
5Osasuna136341720-321
6Athletic Bilbao135531913620
7Real BetisBetis135531412220
8Real Sociedad135351110118
9Mallorca135351010018
10GironaGirona135351617-118
11Celta Vigo135262022-217
12Rayo Vallecano124441313016
13Sevilla134361218-615
14Leganes133551316-314
15AlavesAlaves134181422-813
16Las PalmasLas Palmas133371622-612
17Getafe13175811-310
18Espanyol123181122-1110
19Real ValladolidValladolid132381025-159
20Valencia11146817-97


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