Back with Barca, new manager Xavi 'excited,' eyes 'good football,' success

By Emre Asikci and Can Erozden

ISTANBUL (AA) - Barcelona's new manager Xavi Hernandez said he cannot wait to get to work with the Spanish football powerhouse and wants "good football" and success in the new chapter in his career as the 41-year-old was presented to the public on Monday.

"I am really excited, that's the word; excitement..." Barcelona legend Xavi said, adding that he did not want to lose time to start his work.

"I am back at home. We are in a tough situation economically. Also, we are not in our best sporting moment. But we have the ambition. We have to go together... We are Barca and we are the best club in the world," he said.

Xavi also vowed to give fans "good football" and "good results."

"I have really clear ideas ... We are not in our best moment but we want to play good football and get good results, and that is our idea," he remarked.

The Barca legend added that the club has big goals and that the entire team should work towards these objectives and be aware of the club's greatness.

"I am going to repeat again. We cannot draw or lose games ... We cannot lose any single game ... We have to know where we are. We have to work a lot."

He thanked club members and President Joan Laporta for their confidence in him.

Separately, Xavi said he was "emotional" to see Barca fans again as they welcomed him enthusiastically at the Camp Nou Stadium.

Thousands of Barcelona fans flocked to Camp Nou to greet Xavi as he stepped on the pitch of the stadium for the first time after his leave in 2015.

Alongside club chair Laporta, Xavi signed an official contract with Barcelona at Camp Nou to coach the team for the rest of the current season and two more seasons.

On Nov. 6, Xavi was named Barcelona manager, replacing Ronald Koeman.

Dutch manager Koeman was previously dismissed over poor results with the club. Sergi Barjuan took over as the senior team's caretaker manager on Oct. 28.

Xavi, a longtime Barcelona midfielder and the club's ex-captain, was known for his visual perception, passing, and playmaking skills in central midfield.

He played 767 matches for Barcelona over 17 years in the first team (1998-2015), during which he scored 85 goals and produced 185 assists.

Xavi won eight Spanish La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles ​before a short spell in Qatar prior to his retirement in 2019.

He coached Qatar's Al Sadd since his bowing out as a player in 2019.

Separately, he was also one of the integral parts of the Spanish national team, as he helped his native Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.