Xavi’s appointment was a ‘masterstroke’ by Barcelona - Gerrard

Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard came up against Barcelona at the weekend in the legends match between the two sides.

The Aston Villa boss scored in the game which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Catalans thanks to goals from Giovanni Silva and Rivaldo.

Gerrard spoke about Barcelona after the match and was full of admiration for the club’s decision to appoint Xavi as the team’s coach.

“I think the appointment of Xavi was a masterstroke by Barcelona to appoint someone who has Barcelona in his DNA and who was a world-class player for so many years,” he said.

“He obviously knows the style that everyone around Barcelona wants to see. After some challenging times it looks like as if they are getting back to where they need to be.

“It was obviously a huge result against Real Madrid. As a Barcelona fan from afar, it’s really good to see them back doing well.”

Source | FC Barcelona

The 41-year-old is currently in his second managerial role, having swapped Rangers for Aston Villa in November 2021. Gerrard’s side are currently ninth in the Premier League after 29 games played.