Xavi Hernández

[ajnotkeith]

anything to get clicks. sounds good to gullible fans that want to see blood.

not to mention most of these so called rules that xavi supposedly tries to implement are stupid.

why should they forbid pique from attending an interview or an event? all our players have done interviews with magazines or media outlets and have their business ventures or promotional stuff on the side.

i'm all for discipline and all that, but it sounds like bullshit. don't think xavi is that deluded to come up with stuff like this.

When you have older players of course they're gonna have interests on the side and extra sports activities. If you think it is affecting their performance you can deal with it on a case by case basis, or if you apply this rule to everyone the only players you will have left is the 19 year olds from Barca B.

For example Depay. He has a clothing company that he spends a lot of his time on out of football and is always promoting and talking about it. Is Xavi gonna tell him bin it or you go to the bench? I highly doubt it.

 

[malvolio]

When you have older players of course they're gonna have interests on the side and extra sports activities. If you think it is affecting their performance you can deal with it on a case by case basis, or if you apply this rule to everyone the only players you will have left is the 19 year olds from Barca B.

For example Depay. He has a clothing company that he spends a lot of his time on out of football and is always promoting and talking about it. Is Xavi gonna tell him bin it or you go to the bench? I highly doubt it.

exactly! fake news and exaggeration everywhere. but to the 'fans' it won't matter as they're getting what they want or they think they want to happen.

same bullshit was bandied about when koeman joined - from now on training will be hard, nobody slacks etc.

fast forward to october 2021 and 'fans' are moaning that team is not in shape and we get too many injuries and players are slacking.

 

[Messi983]

When you have older players of course they're gonna have interests on the side and extra sports activities. If you think it is affecting their performance you can deal with it on a case by case basis, or if you apply this rule to everyone the only players you will have left is the 19 year olds from Barca B.

For example Depay. He has a clothing company that he spends a lot of his time on out of football and is always promoting and talking about it. Is Xavi gonna tell him bin it or you go to the bench? I highly doubt it.

He can still do that in his free time at home but for 3-4 hours he spends on the training ground he should be focused on 1. training and 2. getting to know his team mates better rather than everyone starring at their phones.

 

[Rory]

The rules are only stupid if they’re not followed. Then it was all for show. If players stick to them we’ll have a much more focused group of players, whose first priority is playing for Barcelona.

Rooting out and getting rid of trouble causers is a great idea (if any exist).

 

[behindbrowneyes]

There aren't too many egos in our squad. I don't think anyone will oppose Xavi (whether the rules are true or not) apart from - maybe - Pique. Frenkie, Busquets, Alba and co don't strike me as problematic personalities. Busquets probably even welcomes it ;D

Exactly. We had other players in recent past that had way more "power" due to their performances on the pitch than the remaining rest of the old guard. I doubt any of these guys would oppose Xavi in a disrespectful way. Not even Pique. They have way too much respect for each other and Xavi will transmit that rules in a respectful way to his old teammates. You can be very demanding and still handle the relationship with players in a respectful way.

It really is the perfect timing to introduce strict rules and to revive the work ethic in the team. Lots of young talents and unproven guys. Literally no big stars. I'm talking about Messi, Neymar or Suarez - tier stars, not Busquets and Pique who have won everything in their career but don't have much power as they aren't key figures anymore.

But like I said in the other thread: The rules sound good on paper. Planning and executing are two different things, that's why we need to wait and see.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

why should they forbid pique from attending an interview or an event? all our players have done interviews with magazines or media outlets and have their business ventures or promotional stuff on the side.

Why? Because it probably doesn't fit into Xavi's newly introduced schedule?! If players have to spend more time on club's facilities, they'll have less time for side businesses or have to reschedule already planned things. If Xavi starts now and already makes exceptions (apart from understandable things like severe health problems within the family etc.), he'll get in trouble soon.

 

[malvolio]

Why? Because it probably doesn't fit into Xavi's newly introduced schedule?! If players have to spend more time on club's facilities, they'll have less time for side businesses or have to reschedule already planned things. If Xavi starts now and already makes exceptions (apart from understandable things like severe health problems within the family etc.), he'll get in trouble soon.

that's not what that rumor implies. presents the situation like xavi is banning business activities of players outside of the club imposed schedule.

"xavi has canceled", "xavi forbid" etc. makes it out as if xavi is some supreme leader that's cleaning house and no one dares opposing him.

you are right, club schedule is club schedule.

but was pique skipping training to attend interviews or social/business events?

 

[mc_lovin]

that's not what that rumor implies. presents the situation like xavi is banning business activities of players outside of the club imposed schedule.

"xavi has canceled", "xavi forbid" etc. makes it out as if xavi is some supreme leader that's cleaning house and no one dares opposing him.

you are right, club schedule is club schedule.

but was pique skipping training to attend interviews or social/business events?

It's not just about showing commitment, but also having enough rest. You can't have a superstar life style, jet around the world and still be on top of your game. It's virtually impossible. Pique likes to boast about only sleeping 4 or 5 hours, but that's utterly unprofessional. Even if he doesn't miss any training sessions.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

that's not what that rumor implies. presents the situation like xavi is banning business activities of players outside of the club imposed schedule.

"xavi has canceled", "xavi forbid" etc. makes it out as if xavi is some supreme leader that's cleaning house and no one dares opposing him.

you are right, club schedule is club schedule.

but was pique skipping training to attend interviews or social/business events?

Okay, I agree that this kind of vocabulary is exaggerated and suggests a different picture. Just read your other post about it.

Pique had his freedom to do that type of stuff when Valverde was his coach. I also remember him going surfing not long ago (IIRC he missed the game before that with an calf injury) and skipping a training for some business stuff in accordance with Koeman shortly before or around an UCL game. Apart from that I can't obviously say much.

 

[malvolio]

It's not just about showing commitment, but also having enough rest. You can't have a superstar life style, jet around the world and still be on top of your game. It's virtually impossible. Pique likes to boast about only sleeping 4 or 5 hours, but that's utterly unprofessional. Even if he doesn't miss any training sessions.

don't think that's how it works. what next? forbid him to fuck his wife because he gets tired?

we know that in the past some managers forbid players to have sex on the day of a match, but these seem ludicrous now.

Pique had his freedom to do that type of stuff when Valverde was his coach. I also remember him going surfing not long ago (IIRC he missed the game before that with an calf injury) and skipping a training for some business stuff in accordance with Koeman shortly before or around an UCL game. Apart from that I can't obviously say much.

if the above is true then i can understand. xavi makes the rules and if he thinks that is not ok, then fine.

 

[messi2140]

but was pique skipping training to attend interviews or social/business events?

Ernesto Valverde gave the squad four rest days, from Thursday to Sunday. Gerard Pique took advantage of the mini-holiday to travel to New York, USA as well as agree to a series of interviews. In particular, during his interview with Diario AS, the centre-back revealed that he travelled to the USA for business reasons without the coach's permission back in August 2018.

The defender's company Kosmos Group are the organizers of this year's Davis Cup finals which will take place in Madrid, Spain in November. However, one year ago, there were still some issues to be resolved and Pique's presence was needed:

"A few days before the ITF vote to approve our format I spoke with him to say: 'Listen, Ernesto, I have to go because there are doubts and my presence can help the project move forward'.

"I didn't want to tell him it was in Orlando. He didn't tell me no, but neither did he say yes. Then we played the Super Cup against Sevilla and win thanks to my goal.

"So I talked to him again: 'Ernesto, you remember what I asked you, can I go? I'm just going to miss one training session, and I assure you that we will win the League match. Do not worry'.

"There he accepted at first and asked me where it was. I explained that in Orlando and he was startled: "No, don't even talk about it, it's a very long trip."

"I insisted that I would return and we would win. I went there, the format was approved and when I came back, we won." (vs Alaves, 3-0)

The guy even admitted to sleeping 4 or 5 hours in an interview. But I'm sure you will call these BS stories as well.

 

[KingLeo10]

No one controlled the minutia of the game (tempo, ball distribution, positioning of the midfield) better than Xavi.

Now, he's showing absolute control of the dressing room. So good to see, and I'm glad his job is made much easier by Messi not being around.

 

[mc_lovin]

don't think that's how it works. what next? forbid him to fuck his wife because he gets tired?

we know that in the past some managers forbid players to have sex on the day of a match, but these seem ludicrous now.

Of course Xavi can demand a certain life style from professional athletes. There won't be legal consequences, unless it's contractually agreed, but the players who don't follow the rules simply won't play. That's the angle here. I am pretty sure Pep, Klopp and the likes wouldn't accept Pique's behavior. Heck, there were plenty of reports that Pep wanted him gone in his last year.

 

[malvolio]

They guy even admitted to sleeping 4 or 5 hours in an interview. But I'm sure you will call these BS stories as well.

good, honestly didn't knew that. i was calling bullshit story these rumors on how xavi handles stuff.

pique sleeping 4-5 hours a night is not anyone's business. if the manager thinks he has a good level in training and he's being professional, then who cares if he sleeps 4 hours or 7?

 

[delancey]

good, honestly didn't knew that. i was calling bullshit story these rumors on how xavi handles stuff.

pique sleeping 4-5 hours a night is not anyone's business. if the manager thinks he has a good level in training and he's being professional, then who cares if he sleeps 4 hours or 7?

Sleep affects one?s cognitive ability, decision making and overall well-being. Players should be sharp in training and on match days. Secondly, there is a correlation between sleep and sport related injuries.