Xavi: "we Expected a Manchester City with more balloon"

Xavi Hernández confesses in an interview to the British newspaper Daily Mail that the approach of the Manchester City in the party of gone of the eighth of final of the League of Champions surprised "them a bit". In this sense, recognises that "we expected a City with more balloon: it is not that they were defensive, but yes that they expected us backwards".

In the interview, made before the party in Valladolid by the ex player of the Liverpool Jamie Carragher, the '6' Barcelona speech of the philosophy of Manuel Pellegrini: "Usually his teams want the balloon to carry the party to rival field. To him it likes him play to the football, open the field and presionar very up. In some way, this time did not do it. Have players of a profile like the ones of the Barça and that's why it surprised us a bit".

In spite of everything, Xavi praises the figure of the Chilean technician. "It is a fantastic technician, with a concept of game to take out the balloon played from backwards", explains. "For example, it has fichado to Demichelis. It has been criticised, but he can take out the balloon played to start with to do play to the team. The City has a pile of good footballers to play a game of possession. But the thing changes when you confront you to the Barça, because we also have seven or eight footballers that hardly lose the ball", adds.

Xavi also speaks of the successes of the FC Barcelona in the last five years. It finish the good series triunfal? "No, absolutely no. I do not create it. Have an excellent generation of footballers. It looks the ages of Cesc, Messi, Iniesta, Alves and now Neymar, Alba, Hammered... All have between 26 and 29 years. This is a big generation", self-evident.

The one of Terrassa recognises that it is better to not to equate with the Barça of Guardiola, "an only period", because " we would lose all the comparisons. "That was the biggest period of all the history, but if you look to what is doing the Tata and to the idea and the concept of how want to play, everything is there", ensures.

Asked on his future once leave the football, Xavi does not deny that direct the Barça is one of his dreams. "It would love me, yes. It would like me remain in the football for ever. And always with the Barça. It is what say me the heart and the feelings. But all this is for the future. Now it likes me play to the football always, always. What likes me is to have the balloon in the feet and direct the parties", concludes.