Xavi and Busquets
Barcelona – AFP
Published in: May 13, 2023: 04:51 PM GST
Last updated: May 13, 2023: 04:59 PM GST
Barcelona coach Xavi believes that a new era will begin in the Catalan club, with captain Sergio Busquets announcing his departure at the end of the current season, after his contract expired.
The pivot player was a key element in the club’s successes, winning three titles in the Champions League, and he could secure the ninth title in the domestic league if he beat Espanyol on Sunday.
Busquets held a defensive position in the middle behind stars Andres Iniesta and Xavi, while the trio participated in Spain’s successful campaign in the 2010 World Cup when La Roja won the only World Cup in its history.
-However, the current Spanish coach, Xavi, expressed his hopes that the current young duo, Pedri and Gavi, would surpass the achievements of the trio in Barcelona, ”We are working to form a new (era).”
-The coach coming from the Qatari Al-Sadd continued in a press conference on Saturday: I hope that players like Gavi and Pedri will overcome us, this life, this sport.
And the former midfield star added: I hope they go beyond us, I hope they follow in the footsteps of Busquets and achieve his successes, a new era begins.
Busquets, 34, played more than 700 matches with Barcelona, raising 31 titles on his way. But his highest position in the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world was 20th in 2012.
Xavi continued: He is the best defensive midfielder I have seen. Not naming him the Ballon d’Or was unfair to me.
Busquets had previously revealed that he prefers to focus on cups rather than individual titles, and that Sunday will be his chance to win the league title for the first time since 2019, given the big difference with his closest competitors.
And Xavi talked about the derby against Espanyol: We are 200% ready. I see the players training with all their energy and strength to win the league.
