Jose Mourinho Full Of Praise For Barcelona’s Xavi

Friday, 20th November 2009

Ahead of Inter Milan’s crunch tie against Barcelona at the Nou Camp next week, the Nerazzurri manager Jose Mourinho, understands a very talented opposing squad awaits him in Spain. Despite the likes of Lionel Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Andres Iniesta being at the disposal of counterpart Josep Guardiola, Mourinho feels Xavi Hernandez should be the one to really look out for.

The former Chelsea manager paid tribute to the 29-year-old’s exquisite ability to pass the ball and dictate tempo in the middle of the pitch. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he added, “There is a need to understand football to understand that it is a phenomenon. He plays 60 matches per season and he is the best on the field in 45 of them.”

With only two points separating the top and bottom team in Inter’s Champions League group, every game will be critical to ensure passage into the knockout stages. Although currently sitting in pole position with six points, the Portuguese manager wants to put qualification to bed as early as possible. “We need three points to qualify and I think four to close the round first,” he stated.

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