Xavi names the 3 former Barcelona stars he tried to bring back | OneFootball

Former Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has this week revealed the names of a trio of ex-Blaugrana stars whom he attempted to bring back to the Spotify Camp Nou.

Midfield icon Xavi of course took his place on the bench in Catalunya’s capital between 2021 and 2024, before being replaced by Hansi Flick.

During this time, the Spanish tactician oversaw triumphs in both La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup.

As alluded to above, though, Xavi did not have it all his own way after reuniting with the club where he made his name…

Speaking during an interview with Brazilian football legend Romário this past weekend, the 46-year-old was drawn on his transfer efforts whilst in charge of Barcelona.

And his response proved to be a fascinating one, as Xavi (cited by Fabrizio Romano) opened up on his efforts to reunite with the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar:

“As Barça manager, I brought back Dani Alves… and tried to bring Neymar, Pedro and Messi back as well. Pedro and Neymar couldn’t be signed because of the economic situation. For Leo Messi, president Laporta didn’t want him back.”

Conor Laird – GSFN