Coach Xavi of Barcelona said that midfielders Gavi and Pedri are superior to him and fellow Blaugrana icon Andres Iniesta when they were 20 years old.
Both Gavi and Pedri started each of Spain’s four games during the World Cup in Qatar. They have both played important parts for LaLiga leaders Barca ever since Xavi took over as manager last year.
The pair’s telepathic connection and sharp passing have drawn similarities to Xavi’s own collaboration with Iniesta, which enjoyed extraordinary success at both the club and international levels.
However, Xavi claimed in a Tuesday interview with Barca’s media outlets that the Blaugrana’s current midfield pairing had advanced more quickly than their great forebears.
“Me at 20 years old and Andres at 20 years old were not at the level of Pedri or Gavi,” Xavi said. “How Gavi competes, the passion he puts in… we were not at his level.
“We have very young players. Eric [Garcia], Pedri, Ansu [Fati], Gavi… Frenkie [de Jong] is young. We have Barca for the present and for the future.”
Pedri’s #tuesdayvibe ✨ pic.twitter.com/uaV0taKN30
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 20, 2022
Xavi did concede the demands on some of Barca’s young players may be too great, adding: “Gavi has played practically everything. Ansu is a talent, but perhaps we are asking too much of them.”
Barca are two points clear of rivals Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, winning 12 of their 14 games this season after investing heavily in the transfer window.
The Catalan giants put together big-money moves for the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha in the off-season, but Xavi does not expect a repeat in January.
“I told [director of football] Mateu [Alemany] not to play too much, that I’m happy with the family, it’s a fantastic group,” Xavi said. “We don’t know if we’ll be able to incorporate new players.
“I think we can be competitive. I’m happy with the leaders, we train at 100 per cent and it shows on the field. If we don’t touch anything, I’ll be very happy.”