Xavi Hernández landed on the Barça bench in mid-November 2022 with the difficult mission of rescuing a Barça submerged in a football crisis and low self-esteem that was reflected in the classification. At that time the first team was ninth and had added 15 points in ten days. That Barça had players like Memphis, Mingueza, Coutinho, Yusuf Demir or Luuk de Jong. Helped by the work in the winter market that brought with it the signings of Ferran Torres, Adama Traoré and Aubameyang, Barcelona was revitalized. They finished second in the League and qualified for the Champions League. Goal achieved.
That year was undoubtedly the most difficult for Xavi Hernández. But after the results achieved, the coach won the approval of president Joan Laporta to expand the squad. Lewandowski, Raphinha, Marcos Alonso, Koundé and Christensen arrived. Also Kessié and Pablo Torre, who could leave the club this summer. The quality of the staff increased and with it also the resources. Although Xavi was always in favor of playing with two open ends, he soon discovered a formula that worked much better for him. With the defensive stability provided by Araújo and Christensen at the center of defense and with Koundé as an improvised right-back and Balde on the left, the player from Egar opted for four midfielders. A 4-4-2 in defense that became a 4-3-3 in attack with Pedri or Gavi occupying the position of false right winger.
“The League is won by the best. The Copa del Rey or the Champions League are more unfair”. This is one of the phrases that the (almost) always optimistic Xavi Hernández has repeated ad nauseam inside and outside the dressing room. Almost as much as the football concepts that the coach, determined to win his first League and return his football stamp to Barça, has stressed to his footballers. With Dembélé he has worked on order in many video sessions. With Frenkie de Jong the freedom of movement, with Araújo the release of the ball. And young people like Pedri, Balde or Gavi have instilled a series of positional concepts to be more offensive.
After winning the League and the Spanish Super Cup, this season the coach seeks to go one step further. A Barça with more offensive records. To achieve this, the coach will bet on a 3-4-3 with the ball in what will be his most groundbreaking and risky proposal. Players like Koundé, who met with Xavi to express his doubts and tell him that he prefers to play central, already know Xavi's intentions. "I'm staying," he said after listening to him.
And it is that the eleven that the coach has in mind has three central heights. Araújo or Koundé could occupy the right side while the recently signed Iñigo Martínez or, failing that, Marcos Alonso, would play on the left. Christensen's reliability in getting the ball out would complete the defense.
Ahead, Xavi would bet on four midfielders. Oriol Romeu, whose signing is still being worked on, is the defensive pivot that would fix the team. As a partner he would have another midfielder with more freedom of movement in attack like Frenkie de Jong. An interior like Pedri or Gavi would look for the recently signed Gundogan, more advanced. The left wing would be occupied by Balde with total freedom of movement in attack and defense.
Dembélé or Ansu Fati would occupy the extreme right. And Lewandowski, the center forward, would not have as much need to go back to receive. With this drawing that Xavi would study depending on the opponent's profile, Barça ensures a great presence in the rival field and at the same time equips itself with defensive resources. With Dest and the versatile Sergi Roberto in the squad, Xavi no longer considers the signing of a right-back so essential. On the other hand, he would like to incorporate one more midfielder to have six players for the four positions in the average.
