Xavi: I don’t Like Mourinho’s Style of Football

Xavi plans to go on and become a coach but he said he would never have a team playing the type of football employed by Mourinho.

The former Barcelona maestro is coming to the end of his playing career with Al-Sadd in Qatar, with whom he is about to play an important Asian Champions League clash against Persepolis, and is looking to the future.

“I am 99% sure that this is my last season as I am 39 and it is normal to be tired and looking for a change,” he said.

“Now I am thinking about coming a coach and I have the first badge to train a team, while the UEFA Pro course finishes in May. It is still not the time for annoucements or goodbyes but clearly I have thought about what I will do.

“(Mourinho) is a very defensive coach and to play against his Inter team was not easy. That is his style and the way he played at Chelsea and Real Madrid. It is all about the small details, close down space and not give you very much.

“I prefer a different style of football. I am not criticising but I don’t like to play like that and my teams would never have that attitude.”

Inter face Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League with the two having played each other in the 2010 edition when the Italian side went on to win the competition.

“It will be like 2010, Barcelona will play the game and Inter will defend while looking for Icardi and Perisic. My former teammates are favourites, they will dominate possession and look to cause the rival problems. It is not easy to go to the Camp Nou and not suffer.”

Xavi does think that losing Messi is an important blow for Barcelona.

“It is a big advantage for Inter because Leo is the best player that I have played with, the only one that could make the difference in any moment,” he continued.

“For me Messi is the best in the world and in fact ever.”