The current Barça will not make sense without the drive, work and attitude with which Gavi infuses the others. For Xavi it is an essential piece. At 19 years old, he plays like a veteran, he doesn’t wrinkle, he bites. A sometimes unstoppable dynamic. After the overwhelming victory over Antwerp in the Champions League premiere, Xavi was extremely honest about the figure of the Villafranca player at a press conference.
“Gavi is a very dynamic player, but he finds it difficult to maintain his position. He can attack and put pressure on three players in a row and sometimes we have to stop him,” said the Terrassa coach. Far from being interpreted as an “arrow” or something motivating for the boy, Xavi emphasized the inexhaustible energy of a footballer with heart and talent.
IMPREGNATE PRISONERS
It is not the first time that the Barça coach has mentioned this kick-off at a press conference. In many cases where the team perhaps lacked an extra point of intensity, Gavi was the one who instilled that pride in others.
For Xavi, Gavi has a thousand virtues. He’s tired of publicly praising him whenever he can. Even this summer, when he couldn’t play a minute in pre-season due to back problems and with the signing of Gündogan it could look as if he would become less important.
The numbers say the opposite. Logical, At 19, he still has a long way to go. And things that need to be improved and shaped. Sometimes we see him pressuring and defending like someone “possessed” and it is the job of the staff to control and “channel” this energy in some way.
