"Already looked at football like a coach" - Ronaldinho tips 'great friend' Xavi to enjoy success at Barcelona

Barcelona legend Ronaldinho claimed that he was happy for his former teammate Xavi and tipped him to become a great coach.

Ronaldinho spent more than half a decade at the Catalan club, during which time he won one Champions League and two La Liga titles. During his time at the club, he shared the pitch with Xavi for some time as well.

The two-time Ballon d’Or winner claimed that he could see Xavi going to be a coach in the future. He claimed that the Spanish midfielder saw football “like a coach.” Speaking to Radio Marca, he said:

"He was a great friend and teammate. You could already see that he was going down this path because from on the pitch [as a player] he already looked at football like a coach. He knows very well how football works."

Ronaldinho went on to reminisce about his time at the club and claimed that he missed it. He said:

"I have been able to play with my idols who today are my friends. Barca is where I played the longest and I was able to play with the same players for a long time, and that is why we know each other very well. The day to day was something very nice: the changing room, the laughs, the jokes, the preparation for the matches... It was all very fun and I miss it."

Barcelona are expected to do well in the immediate future

Needless to say, the arrival of Xavi Hernandez as manager has reinvigorated the Blaugrana. They struggled in ninth position in La Liga when he was appointed in November, taking over from Ronald Koeman.

The team has returned to the tiki-taka football that it was famous for since the beginning of the century. Moreover, a host of young players have broken through under the Spanish manager.

In Gavi and Pedri, they have two midfielders who are expected to form the backbone of the team in the coming years.

Ronaldinho also tipped Pedri for greatness and was seemingly happy with Xavi’s progress as the manager. Barcelona have had a few difficult moments, especially in the Champions League in the past few years. They were even eliminated in the group stages this season. They will hope to make up for lost time from the next campaign.

With the improvement Xavi has brought in a small time, Barcelona fans would be positive for the coming years under their club legend.