In a recent documentary chronicling his inaugural season at Paris Saint-Germain, manager Luis Enrique expressed disapproval towards Xavi Hernández’s Barcelona, likening their playing style to that of “long ball football like Eibar.”
PSG and Barcelona faced off in the Champions League quarterfinals last season, with PSG losing the first leg 3-2 in Paris but mounting a comeback to win 4-1 at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona.
Enrique critiqued Barcelona’s performance under Xavi in the past two seasons, stating that they are not guaranteed to dominate matches and have struggled defensively.
The remarks were made in a Spanish documentary titled “You have no f—ing idea.” “They employ a collective defensive strategy, yet their defensive prowess is subpar.”
“It is inaccurate to suggest that Barça delivered a superior performance; such assertion is entirely erroneous,” he assessed, recalling his tenure with the La Liga squad from 2014 to 2017.
Their strategy involved utilizing long passes. Ter Stegen, the goalkeeper, established a new record by completing a total of 24 long passes. Their style of play resembles that of Eibar. The focus was solely on utilizing long passes. If fans of Xavi support him, they may refer to him as “the third man.”
