"I am very happy with what he is doing" - David Villa heaps praises on Barcelona manager Xavi for incredible work this season

Former Barcelona striker David Villa recently heaped praise on Xavi Hernandez for the work he has been doing as the manager of the La Liga side. Xavi's men are currently atop the league table, leading rivals Real Madrid by a whopping 12 points.

The Blaugrana won their first trophy under Xavi's tutelage this season as well, lifting the Spanish Super Cup in January. They defeated Real Madrid in the final to win the tournament.

Speaking about Xavi's work, Villa recently told SPORT:

"I don't know Xavi as a coach because I haven't had him, but he's a great friend and his results are there. It is not given importance, but it takes 12 points from the second. I am very happy with what he is doing.”

Barcelona currently have 68 points from 26 matches this campaign. They defeated Los Blancos 2-1 in their most recent league fixture, further widening their lead.

Moving to the Catalan club from Valencia, Villa scored 48 goals and provided 24 assists in 119 matches across competitions. The 2010 FIFA World Cup hero scored in the final of the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United as well. Villa left to join Atletico Madrid in 2013 and ultimately retired in 2020 after stints in the USA and Japan.

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Barcelona youngster opens up on his journey

Barcelona youth academy product Angel Alarcon has made five appearances for the senior team so far in his career. The youngster recently spoke about his journey.

In a recent interview with Manu Arnor, Alarcon said:

“If you told me that I would be going through this a year ago, when I was not playing and starting to run, I wouldn’t have believed it. When they told me about the injury it was a tough moment. Nobody likes to hear that you’ve torn your cruciate ligament."

He further added:

“Once they told me, it was very clear to me that I wanted to come back the same or better than before. I worked for 14 months and I think I’m getting the result.”

Alarcon operates as a left-winger and has made four La Liga appearances for Xavi's team so far this campaign.