Xavi Hernandez was announced as the new Barcelona coach, following the exit of Coach Ronald Koeman shortly after they lost disappointingly to Rayo Vallecano on October 27th. Here’s what we can hope to expect from the former Midfield Maestro.

A second chance: 

One of the heaviest complaints during Ronald Koeman’s time in charge of Barcelona was that he did not give certain players chances to perform. The likes of Riqui Puig, a fan favorite of the catalan side, rarely saw playing time under the Dutch coach. However, Xavi Hernandez will most definitely change that, he has publicly promised a fresh start to every single player on the team. In the short amount of time he has been in charge, players like Samuel Umtiti have now found new life, and hopefully we will see a rejuvenated team out on the field when they return to action.

A Blast from the past:

Barcelona have always been known for their distinctly beautiful philosophy of playing the game. They would keep and move the ball like nobody’s business, and tear even the best of teams apart on their day. Barca, however, have lost their way a bit over the past few years. Under Coaches Ernesto Valverde and Quique Setien, the team would rely mostly on Lionel Messi. Under Ronaldo Koeman, they would start to play well, but the minute they went down a goal, or started losing the momentum of the game, any tactical plan in place seemed lost.

Xavi, however, will bring back the Barca philosophy of old, considering he was a player for the team during their peak, and he grew up playing in their youth academy. Having been integrated with the Barcelona DNA from a young age, he will no doubt reflect that in his team structure, and I, for one, look forward to seeing it.

Discipline: 

Barcelona’s biggest problem has been their lack of discipline and focus. They’ve been out of shape, disorganized, and less like a team than ever before. Xavi, however, has already started to change that. When he arrived, he implemented a set of 10 rules:

• Staff must be two hours early to training
• Players must be 90 minutes early to training
• Players must eat at the training ground
• Players will be fined for breaking rules
• Fines will be doubled for repeat offenses
• A curfew will be implemented 48 hours before a game
• The team is a meritocracy
• Players’ travel and off-field habits will be monitored
• Players are prohibited from dangerous activities
• Players must maintain a good image

As harsh as they may seem, the team will feel more like a team now than it has in a very long time.

Xavi will take charge of his first match as Barca head coach on Saturday November 20th, 3:00 PM EST against RCD Espanyol in the Catalan Derby.