Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has, on Sunday, revealed his admiration for Barcelona counterpart Xavi Hernandez.
Xavi, of course, is fresh off his first full season in the dugout at the Camp Nou.
After securing a long-awaited return to Barca back in 2021, on the back of a stint in Qatar with Al Sadd, the one-time midfielder was afforded his first real chance at proving himself worthy of the mantle of the next great Blaugrana headmaster, with a full summer of preparation under his belt.
And though he failed in efforts to convince all of his doubters, Xavi did at least buy himself more time on the bench in Catalunya.
This came courtesy of an impressive run to the La Liga title, which saw Barca beat out Clasico rivals Real Madrid by a full ten points.
And, as alluded to above, though his shortcomings on the continent saw many an eyebrow raised, one individual who is the opinion that Xavi is precisely what Barcelona need at this moment in time, is Mikel Arteta.
“Xavi has been able to handle the pressure and stay true to his ideas, defending the club and the players. The team was very solid all year.”
Arteta concluded:
“Barça needed a person like him.”
Mikel Arteta: “Xavi has been able to handle the pressure and stay true to his ideas, defending the club and the players. The team was very solid all year. Barça needed a person like him.” pic.twitter.com/TDEOU61erC
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) June 25, 2023
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