MADRID: Xavi Hernandez was launched as Barcelona’s new coach on Monday when thousands of fans welcomed the former legendary midfielder of the legendary debt club back to Camp Nou.
Xavi walked out for the song “Xavi, Xavi” before signing his contract in the field, with the family and President Barca Joan Laporta.
“I don’t want too emotional so I’ll just tell you one thing – we are the best club in the world,” Xavi told a crowd of around 10,000 fans.
“And we will work with the highest standards for success.
We cannot accept defeat or drawing, we must win every match.” Laporta said: “Today will be a historic day for Barca.” Xavi is the first Barca coach to be presented in the field in front of fans at a 99,000-capacity stadium, with routines usually only provided for the largest signing of the club.
The return of a 41-year-old player as a coach, six years after he left Barcelona to play in Qatar, had produced great joy and raised the expectations of the club to begin back to the European elite.
Barca sat ninth in La Liga, with clubs wrestling with more than one billion euros.
They have not become European champions since 2015.
The appointment of Xavi was confirmed early on Saturday and he flew out of Doha a few hours later, before watching Barcelona in the distance when they throw three names to Celta Vigo went to Celta Vigo Figure 3-3.
He was then attended by personally to watch the club kids as Barca B beat Sevilla B at Johan Cruyff Stadium on Saturday night.
The first Xavi training session was responsible for Tuesday, even though the squad was up due to injury and absence in international duties.
Barcelona’s first match with Xavi in Dugg-Out will be at home for Local Espanyol rivals on November 20.
After playing 767 matches for Barcelona, Xavi went to play for Al Sadd in Qatar in 2015 before taking over as team coach four years later.
He is widely regarded as one of Barca’s biggest players, after winning four La Liga titles and eight league champions, and the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain.
Xavi Hernandez was launched as Barcelona coach to fans at Camp Nou
