'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona Xavi Hernandez has praised Manchester United fans after hearing about their support during United’s awful 2013/14 campaign, as per reports on ESPN. Xavi believes football is a well-respected profession in England and remains positive that the English national team will excel in Euro 2016.
The 20-time English champions had a nightmare campaign following Sir Alex’ s Ferguson’s retirement, going from being champions to finishing seventh in the league and consequently missing out on European football.
David Moyes succeeded the Scot at Old Trafford, but lasted just 10 months and he was sacked with four games remaining in the season. United legend Ryan Giggs had a temporary spell in charge before Louis Van Gaal took over in the summer of 2014.
Spain international Juan Mata had earlier revealed to Xavi how the Old Trafford faithful reacted at the end of the campaign and it prompted the former Barca midfielder to speak of his admiration for English fans.
“Juan Mata told me a story last year. He said that when Manchester United finished seventh (in 2013-14), the fans still applauded the team at the end of the season,” Xavi told in an interview.
“Seventh! If that happened to us in Barcelona, they'd want to kill us in our cars!”
“I'd always respected the English fans. It's like a religion in England, where the fans follow the team to every away game.”
“In England, they roar the team from the first minute. I admire that. The atmosphere is different, the mentality different to the Latin one.”
“The English respect the footballer. It's a respected profession. In Spain, it's not respected.”
“The people say: 'You live too well, you earn too much money, you don't work'. That's not true.”
England have improved: Xavi
Ahead of next summer’s European Championship in France, the former Spain international has felt that ‘England have really improved’ and has high expectations for them to excel in the competition. The 35-year-old believes the Three Lions lack confidence and need to break the barrier in order to start winning trophies.
“They have [Raheem] Sterling, [Ross] Barkley, [Jack] Wilshere, who has had bad luck with injury,” he added.
“Young players, very talented. England are like the Spain of old. They have players; they don't have the confidence, the belief, to win tournaments.”
“When they break this barrier, like we did, they can win. There's a lot of pressure on them because they haven't won.”
He further added: “With Spain, there's not the same pressure.”
“They play with tranquility, England don't. It's a bitch when your country expects you to win and you don't.”
“I've been there. I was in the World Cup in 2002 and 2006, when we were a team which reached quarterfinals.”
“I heard the radio, the television and read the newspapers. The criticism was awful. England are like that now. They need to change their chip.”
