Former Barcelona staff member makes explosive claim about treatment of Xavi Hernandez: ‘We were not appreciated’ | OneFootball

A former member of Xavi Hernandez’s coaching staff at Barcelona has delivered a strong defence of the club legend while opening up about what he believes was a lack of support from within the organisation during his time in charge.

David Prats, who worked closely with Xavi before recently moving to Qatar to coach Al Shamal, reflected on the intense atmosphere surrounding Barcelona and the criticism directed at the former manager and his staff.

Speaking about his relationship with Xavi in an interview with SPORT, Prats made it clear that the former midfielder remains the biggest football influence in his career.

“Xavi is head and shoulders above everyone else, both personally and professionally. To me, he’s a top-class manager.”

The ground reality

The conversation then shifted towards the difficult reality of working at Barcelona during one of the club’s most unstable periods in recent years.

Prats admitted the pressure inside the club was enormous, even for staff members working behind the scenes.

“The pressure is immense. You’re at one of the biggest clubs in Europe and you have to win and play well all the time. You feel it even as an analyst.”

Despite acknowledging the sporting demands that come with Barcelona, Prats suggested the most painful aspect of the experience was the criticism aimed at Xavi and the coaching staff – criticism he believes was unfair and left unanswered internally.

“What hurt me most was the unfounded criticism directed at us, especially at Xavi. 

“He didn’t deserve it; they were unfair to him. And what’s more, we weren’t protected from within.”

Defending Xavi

Prats feel Xavi was not treated rightfully. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Prats also defended the work achieved under Xavi during a period where Barcelona were facing both sporting and financial instability.

“For me, it was very unfair. We arrived at a very difficult time for the club. 

“We managed to get the team into the Champions League, then we won La Liga and the Super Cup. 

“I think that’s a huge achievement. But from within, it wasn’t appreciated as it should have been.”

The Al Shamal manager then explained that his previous experience working alongside Xavi at Al Sadd played a major role in his managerial journey.

“It all started because I’d already been here with Xavi as an assistant coach with Al Sadd’s first team. 

“We had a great time, felt very much at home, and I had fond memories of the league and the country.”

Lastly, he also disclosed that Xavi himself encouraged members of his staff to seek new opportunities after leaving Barcelona.

“I consider him a very good friend and he told us: ‘If you have the chance to do something else and it motivates you, go for it.’ He needed a break.”