An insight into some of the finer details of the stance taken by Barcelona head coach Xavi when it comes to his staff during talks over staying put with the club has been forthcoming online.
The info comes courtesy of Diario AS, and points towards Xavi as having been absolutely unwavering in his commitment to two key members of his team.
The situation on the bench at Barca, of course, has dominated the headlines in Spain over the last 24 hours.
As much comes after the tireless efforts of the Blaugrana board to convince their beloved headmaster to remain for next season at last bore fruit.
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Xavi announced that:
“I have changed my mind. Rectifying is for wise people. It’s not a matter of money or ego. I saw everyone’s confidence.”
Evidently, however, the discussions which culminated in as much did not exactly go off without a hitch.
Joan Laporta and Deco, it is understood, laid out a series of requests to Xavi during their get-together on Wednesday, regarding his backroom staff.
First, the former midfielder was informed of the imminent arrivals of conditioning specialist Julio Tous, and physiotherapist Raúl Martínez, news of which Xavi accepted with no qualms.
It was upon requests coming to the fore regarding his current coaching setup, though, that the 44-year-old felt it necessary to put his foot down.
As per the aforementioned AS, it was suggested that fitness coach Ivan Torres be dismissed from his role, with Xavi’s brother and assistant Óscar Hernández relegated to a less prominent position, too.
‘The coach flatly refused to accept these conditions, especially in the case of his brother, so in the end the club chose to be much less aggressive in its decision to increase the level of the current staff.’
Conor Laird | GSFN
