Xavi: "Real Madrid wanted to destroy football"

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has claimed the current European and Spanish champions are the best team of the last 20 years and hailed Lionel Messi as the best player of all time.

Barcelona swept all before them once again this season to pick up the Liga and Champions League double, and the Spain international was happy to indulge in some rare trumpet blowing.

He told German newspaper Bild: ''There have been some great teams in history, Pele's Brazil, [Johan] Cruyff's Ajax, [Arrigo] Sacchi's Milan but in the past 20 years this Barcelona team is the best.''

On Messi, he added: ''He is the best player of all time - better than Pele, Maradona or Cruyff. We have to protect him as he is crucial. Without him we would not be what we are.''

Coach Pep Guardiola has also received high praise for his work, and although reports suggested that he was on the verge of standing down, Xavi claimed he hopes the former Barcelona midfielder ''stays forever''.

He added: ''He (Guardiola) is very intelligent, very enthusiastic and very 'Barcelona-ish'. He is a great coach and I hope he stays forever, if not as coach then as sporting director or president.''

The only black mark in the Catalans' season was the Copa del Rey final defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid. Xavi, though, was critical of the approach adopted by Jose Mourinho's men throughout the season.

He said: ''Madrid were the hardest opponents but not because they played football but because they wanted to destroy the game. I like Manchester United's approach a thousand times better. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Real did play.''
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Xavi is humble and respectful...

no what he meant is that madrids game plan was to break up the game and stop barca getting their passing game going, which they did and won! thats all!

Xavi is humble and respectful

Sadly, I don't disagree too much with what he says.
The only part that bugs me is the hypocrisy. Barcelona were not out there to play football either against Madrid. They were there to play act and try to get them sent off

Xavi is humble and respectful

Probably something lost in translation . If not thats lot of hypocrisy

Iceman wrote:Sadly, I don't disagree too much with what he says.
The only part that bugs me is the hypocrisy. Barcelona were not out there to play football either against Madrid. They were there to play act and try to get them sent off

I agree, the feigning of injuries was pretty disgusting and I don't think either side can be proud of the way they played aside from a couple Messi goals the clasicos this season were a let down and were just football at its worst tbh.

Who cares, it's all 'Arguably' true =D (esp the last sentence)

Xavi is humble and respectful

Prometheus wrote:no what he meant is that madrids game plan was to break up the game and stop barca getting their passing game going, which they did and won! thats all!

Their plan was to play rugby and chop down whoever had the ball and sometimes even people who didn't have it. Both teams did disgraceful things and we can only look to the future for better football from the two clubs.

I swear evertime Xavi opens his mouth, I want to reform all his teeth. It's like the new Cryuff.

Sushi Master wrote:I swear evertime Xavi opens his mouth, I want to reform all his teeth. It's like the new Cryuff.

He learned from the best obviously

like how he names off great teams but doesn't mention madrid... surely they deserve some recognition?

frankly, when you cheat your way through the game, act and dive, you cant really take the moral high ground and act like the way you acted to get away with the W was the right way

Xavi's tutor is Cruyff, everything Xavi speaks is because Johan taught him so

Response to Xavi: Pot meet kettle.

Exactly Nick.
I agree with what he said, Madrid were not really playing the football we all know and love....But Barcelona weren't doing that either. For him to act as if that is the case is what annoys me most; however, his point is valid. Its just hypocritical as well, thats all.

Xavi is completely right. Madrid did disgusting stuff (4 agressions in the 5 Barça - Madrids this seasons) and only wanted to defend and foul. Yes, some of our players dived in one game (one game!), this is a minor misbehaviour compared to agressions as Madrid did.

To all that say we cheated: We won fair and square, we are the best, and you, you can just suck it. You have it in.

Madrid got burned by an Armenian

free_cat wrote:Xavi is completely right. Madrid did disgusting stuff (4 agressions in the 5 Barça - Madrids this seasons) and only wanted to defend and foul. Yes, some of our players dived in one game (one game!), this is a minor misbehaviour compared to agressions as Madrid did.

To all that say we cheated: We won fair and square, we are the best, and you, you can just suck it. You have it in.

diving and cheating your way through the game wasnt any better.

noth teams were shameful, each in their own way, but ofc when you win you just act as if your way was right... oh well

Ahh, looks like Barca v Madrid will come back to haunt us in this forum as well.
Barcelona dived in, pretty much, 4 of the 5 matches. You were trying to get RM players sent off, which is not " playing football" as Xavi would say. You dived, faked pain, surrounded the referees and even tried to pick up fights with yellow-carded players to get them sent off.

Real Madrid did not play football, but neither did Barcelona. Get off your high horse you idiot and look around you.

you know how to kill it tho

This is mouth-watering stuff! What the hell is this Nick?

Iceman wrote:Ahh, looks like Barca v Madrid will come back to haunt us in this forum as well.
Barcelona dived in, pretty much, 4 of the 5 matches. You were trying to get RM players sent off, which is not " playing football" as Xavi would say. You dived, faked pain, surrounded the referees and even tried to pick up fights with yellow-carded players to get them sent off.

Real Madrid did not play football, but neither did Barcelona. Get off your high horse you idiot and look around you.

No need for insults, man.

He did say that Barcelona dove. Although people seem to forget Marcelo dove to get the penalty in the first leg. As well as Madrid players punching Barcelona's players, stamping on their knees and chopping them down very roughly at any chance they got.

I wish more footballers were as honest and upfront as Xavi. #Legend.