Much has been made in Spain about Pedri’s comments that Barcelona are training better and differently under Hansi Flick compared to Xavi Hernandez, with some reading it as a shot at the former coach. Various stories have emerged regarding their relationship.
The latest, as revealed by Cadena SER and featured by Diario AS, is regarding the Canary Islander’s fitness. Pedri saw his season punctuated by injuries last year, without really getting into a full rhythm. Santi Ovalle has claimed that a point of tension between the two is that Pedri felt he was being rushed back into games by his coach.
Pablo Gavi was so competitive in the lower categories of La Masia that his coaches sometimes had to hold him back. @relevo
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 26, 2024
In the past it has also been reported that Pedri was under the impression that Xavi had told the club he was expendable, and he would be willing to part with him for the right offer. However the Catalan coach then held talks to assure him that was not the case. This story is not the only hint that their relationship was not as good as it could have been towards the end of Xavi’s spell as Barcelona manager.
