REVEALED: Barcelona's dressing room had NO RULES when Xavi arrived
REVEALED: Barcelona’s dressing room had NO RULES when Xavi arrived – before he brought in a string of fines for lateness and got players in early to get control of their diets
- Xavi was shocked by the lack of discipline when he returned as coach in 2021
- The successful Barca sides he played in were kept in order by strict rules
- Coach moved to reinstate fines for lateness and made players eat as group
Barcelona’s dressing room ‘had no rules’ when Xavi returned as coach with the Nou Camp legend shocked by the lack of discipline within the squad he inherited.
The former Barca midfielder has transformed their fortunes and they wrapped up their first LaLiga title since 2019 with a 4-2 win over local rivals Espanyol on Sunday night.
Xavi, 43, was appointed as manager in November 2021 and asked his former team-mate and close friend Sergio Busquets to give him an assessment of the dressing room rules already in place.
When the former Spain international had played in successful Barcelona teams, a code of strict rules had dictated how the players behaved.
But, according to The Athletic, Busquets told him there were no rules. They had been slowly eroded during the six years Xavi had been away.
Xavi wasted little time in restoring discipline to the Barcelona and is reaping the benefits
The club wrapped up their first LaLiga title since 2019 with a 4-2 win over Espanyol on Sunday
Stunned by the lack of order, Xavi reinstated player fines for lateness and these increase in severity for repeat offenders.
The coach also demanded all the players arrive at the training ground 90 minutes before the session started so they could all eat together.
Xavi believed that if the squad ate their breakfast and lunch together at the club, the nutritionists could better control their diets.
The increased discipline behind the scenes has paid dividends with Barca dominating the league title battle with Real Madrid this season.
They are 14 points clear of their great rivals with four matches of the season still left to play.
Sunday night’s win over Espanyol secured the club’s 27th league title, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice and Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde also on target.
But as the players celebrated around the centre circle at the final whistle, they were chased from the field by angry Espanyol supporters.
Some ultras made their way into the tunnel and were confronted by Barca players including Busquets and Marcos Alonso, while others turned their attention to protesting against the board, with Espanyol close to relegation.
Xavi restored some of Barcelona’s old standards by changing the training ground culture
Robert Lewandowski scored a brace of goals in the first half to help give his side the win
Alejandro Balde (front) got the away side’s second goal as they defeated Espanyol on Sunday
Barcelona’s players surrounded the centre circle after the match and joined arms to celebrate
It’s not believed any players were harmed but the hasty exit from the pitch was a shock and put a dampener on the title celebrations.
‘It’s normal to celebrate but I understand that we are not at home and we can’t be disrespectful,’ said Xavi after the game.
On the title win, he added: ‘It’s a great feeling. It’s a job well done. This started in July and after months of work and sacrifice we have achieved our aim. The fans and the club deserve it, it gives us stability and security that things are being done well.
‘We have sealed LaLiga with a fantastic performance. We were brilliant tonight. The team relaxed at the end and Espanyol showed pride.’
Espanyol ultras stormed the field of play to confront Barcelona’s players on Sunday night
Some ultras made it down the tunnel and were confronted by a group of Barcelona players
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