Xavi Hernandez is on his way to make a return to Barcelona, but as a head coach, as the club have already announced it.
This may not be of much direct interest to Liverpool, but the legendary Catalan certainly has always had kind words to say about the Reds.
Sadio Mane, who has established himself as one of the world’s best wide forwards, caught the eye of Xavi a little over 12 months ago. His impressive performances saw him tentatively linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona.
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has also been linked with a move to the Nou Camp in recent weeks, and Xavi said that neither would be a good fit for Barca.
"Mane and Aubemayang can kill you in open space. But Barcelona need players who know how to move in small spaces," the 41-year-old said last year, via Football365.
"I am thinking about player who would adapt to Barcelona and it’s not easy to find one. Samuel Eto'o was perfect as is Luis Suarez right now."
Before the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2019, five months after Xavi began managing in Qatar, he spoke about Klopp’s style and what makes Liverpool so difficult to play against.
"What stands out for me with Klopp and Liverpool is their intensity,” Xavi told FIFA.com in 2019.
“The intensity they play with both in defence and attack, the high press by the front three who occupy the space between the lines and do their pressing there.
"They're a very difficult team to attack. Physically they're very strong. They win all the second balls and they also work really hard on their tactics. They're dominant in so many areas of the game.
"Their transitions in attack and defence are just about perfect: how they defend, how they drop back, how they hit hard on the counter, the pace of their players and above all the intensity Klopp gives them.
"My guess is that he makes huge demands of them in training. The energy he gives off from the dugout and injects in the team is amazing."
Source - Liverpool ECHO
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