Interview with Xavi (Part 1): From Messi s teammate to Barcelona s godfather, revealing the five &quot "P&quot" in football philosophy

"Dad, have you really played with Messi?" Six-year-old Dan Hernandez looked up at his father, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

"Yes." Harvey Hernandez replied with a smile, his eyes sweeping over the hundreds of jerseys displayed in the living room - these jerseys that were swapping with opponents at different stages of his career, and were quietly telling his football story. The four-year-old daughter was fiddling with stickers for Barcelona men's and women's football teams, while the nine-year-old son was holding the FIFA gamepad, with virtual images of Lamin Yamal and Pedri jumping on the screen. In this family full of football atmosphere, 45-year-old Xavi is sitting at his home in the heart of Barcelona, ​​unfolding his football philosophy and life insights to us.

1. Football memory in the museum: The identities of players to fathers are intertwined

Walking through the corridor full of jerseys, Xavi's fingers gently brushed a Barcelona No. 10 jersey with the words "XAVI". Here are the commemorative jerseys he played for 767 games for Barcelona’s first team, the blue jerseys for the Spanish national team’s 133 games, and the treasures exchanged with legends such as Ronaldo and Messi. "These are my memories, mostly good memories." He said, his eyes staying on the 2010 World Cup final jersey - that was the peak moment of Spanish football and one of the highlights of his career.

When asked how to explain his career to his children, Xavi smiled softly: "We wanted them to live a normal life, but when my son was reminded by his classmates at school, 'your dad was once a Barcelona coach', everything could not be hidden." He pointed to his son's collection of Yamal stickers: "Now he will ask me the details of Lamin's training, and his daughter always said that Lewandowski's shooting is like Superman'." This conversation started by games and stickers made Xavi realize that football has long been a bridge connecting two generations.

2. From players to coaches: inheriting Cruyff's football beliefs

In Harvey's football philosophy, John Cruyff's influence was profound and lasting. The mat outside his house still carved the words "Go out and enjoy" inscribed on it, which is the spiritual imprint left by Cruyff to Barcelona. "In the 2011 Wembley Champions League final, we should have led 3-0 but were equalized. I was so angry that I smashed the water bottle during the break - this was not my normal state, but I knew we could have been more perfect." He recalled that after the 4-1 victory over Manchester United, Sir Ferguson praised Barcelona as "the strongest team he met", and what Xavi valued more was the players' extreme execution of ball possession, position and pressing in the game.

As a coach, Harvey distilled Cruyff's philosophy into "five Ps": ball control, position, pressurization, perception, and most importantly, "passion". "Casado may not be the most talented player, but every fight he plays on the court is full of passion, and this is the spirit that Barcelona needs." He emphasized that during his coaching period, the thing he was most proud of was not the trophy, but the 17-year-old Yamal and 18-year-old Kubassas made their debut - these young people have now become the core of Hans Flick's system.

3. Football Observation after Farewell to Barcelona: From insiders to thinkers

Although he removed the Barcelona coach's seal last summer, Xavi's life has never been far from football. He watches at least three games a day, from La Liga to Premier League, from Atlanta’s Gasperini to Dezelby in Marseille, and he is obsessed with analyzing the tactical logic of different coaches. "Once I watched four consecutive games in Atlanta. In Gasperini's 3-5-2 system, the one-on-one logic of the wingback and the forward was so interesting." He smiled and said that his wife often joked that "the sofa grew in front of the TV."

Talking about the situation of his old opponent Ancelotti at Real Madrid, Xavi's tone was full of dissatisfaction: "It's too common in Spain to have 30 trophys in ten years but was criticized for losing a season. Valverde is right. If Ancelotti was criticized, what room for other coaches tolerate faults?" He sighed that the utilitarian nature of Spanish football is in sharp contrast to the inclusiveness of the Premier League: "Arteta spent six years building a system at Arsenal. If Spain were to be fired three times long ago ”

4. Future prospects: From Barcelona legend to football roamer

When asked whether he was eager to return to the coaching seat, Xavi's eyes lit up: "Of course, but I need a project that can really 'build' - such as 'give me four years to build a team'. "He did not hide his yearning for the Premier League: "The fans there respected professionalism, and when playing football at Anfield, the cheers of the audience can penetrate the bone marrow." He coached the national team and admitted: "Spain? Why not in the future? But if there are other countries who are willing to trust my ideas, I will accept it happily."

When the conversation was approaching, the six-year-old Dan broke into the room again, holding a Barcelona history album and asked: "Dad, have you really skipped Samba with Ronaldinho?" Xavi laughed and took the album and turned to a photo in 2006: "Not only did he skip, he also taught me how to pass the ball with his heel." The sun shone through Baiye The windows are shining on the jerseys all over the wall. In this time capsule of football woven, Xavi Hernandez is both a legendary witness and a passionate passer-as he said: "Football is not arithmetic problem of winning or losing, but a magic that makes every child look like light."

(The second part will be released next week. Xavi will tell the story behind the scenes of coaching Barcelona, ​​the details of his interactions with Messi, and the experience of cultivating young players.)