Xavi is starting to rule Barcelona with a heavy hand. Ten rules for players to follow

The fun and relaxation in Barcelona is over, the Catalan players can get ready for a tough regime. The new coach and club icon Xavi is tightening the belts of the rules, and the Spanish media has published a ten-point rule that everyone must follow.

Barcelona players must arrive 90 minutes before training

Xavi hasn’t moved the training time, the training unit will still start at 11am. However, the arrival time for the players is changing. While under coach Koeman, players could arrive anytime after 10 o’clock, that freedom now ends.

Xavi has instructed all players to arrive at the training center no later than 9:30 a.m. so they can properly prepare for practice. In addition, the players will attend a joint breakfast.

The management team must arrive 2 hours before training

Xavi knows that as a coach he has to lead by example. That is why he has ordered all members of the implementation team to arrive at Ciutat Esportiva at least 2 hours before the start of training each time.

The players must eat at the club centre

The Barcelona legend believes that a proper diet can prevent injuries and improve performances and therefore he has ordered that all Blaugranas players will eat at the training centre.

This ends the players’ freedom to choose whether to eat at the Ciutat Esportiva or have lunch at home or in town. Barcelona’s nutritionists will supervise the players on what they eat and drink.

The return of fines

After Luis Enrique’s departure in 2017, Barcelona stopped paying fines. There was a perception that the players were professionals and knew how to behave.

In any case, Xavi is reintroducing fines after personal experience. He himself experienced how the introduction of financial penalties moved Barcelona forward under Pep Guardiola, who replaced Frank Rijkaard in 2008.

The fines will be doubled for repeated infringements

If a player is guilty of the same offence twice, his fine will be doubled. For example, if he is late for training, his fine could be €100 at the start. If he does it a second time, the amount rises to €200, and after the third time it would be €400.

The Spanish daily AS reports that during Enrique’s time some fines have jumped up to €6,000.

Players must be home before midnight 48 hours before the match

Before every Barcelona game, players must be home before midnight as early as 48 hours before the game. This should ensure that every player is at their best for the match. This is reportedly one of Xavi’s most important conditions, from which he is not going to back down one step. So the players will have to enjoy the famous Spanish nightlife after the season is over.

The game as training

Xavi will demand 100% commitment from everyone, not only in the match but also in training. This is no cliché, the 41-year-old coach will strictly demand high training morale and total commitment, no matter what day of the week it is. Anyone who just goes to practice will be benched or even put in the stands.

The players’ lives off the field will be scrutinized

The Spanish coach doesn’t want to ban players from enjoying their free time. However, he does not want them to spend several hours on a private plane without his permission. If the players’ off-field activities start to affect their on-field performance, the coaches will start to supervise the players off the field.

Risky activities are no longer allowed

Players will no longer be allowed to engage in “risky” activities that could lead to injury. This includes surfing or riding an electric bike. Anyone who breaks this will face a hefty fine, and there may even be more serious consequences.

Keeping a “good face”

Players and the management team must set an example. Whenever they do so in public, they must be empathetic with the fans and always behave within the club’s rules.

Other

This letter was carried by AS newspaper and subsequently picked up by other Spanish newspapers. El Chirinquito TV even came up with the idea that players, on Xavi’s orders, must hand over their mobile phones when they enter the booth, which journalist Josep Pedrerol humorously parodied in his programme.

“Give me the phone or Xavi will fine me. Take it, thank you. Otherwise he’ll punish me. Let’s get started,” Jugones Pedrerol began his show.

Source: AS Diario, El Chirinquito