Xavi's first message to Barcelona players: You have to believe in yourselves

Tuesday, November 9, saw Xavi Hernandez begin his tenure as Barcelona head coach, one day after he was presented at the Camp Nou as Ronald Koeman's successor.

The international break, coupled with a plethora of injuries, means that Xavi only had a few players available for Tuesday's training session at the club's training ground, but he began to lay the seeds of what he hopes to achieve as Barcelona boss.

"You have to believe in yourselves," Xavi said before asking the players to have a lot of intensity and effort.

"What happened in Vigo [against Celta Vigo] can't happen to you. You have to always be alert; you can't go in at half-time 3-0 ahead and end up drawing," he continued.

He also made clear that they should be proud of being at a club like Barcelona and that this team always has to compete.

Then, Xavi spoke to the players and informed them of the rules that will now be in place in the dressing room, with a greater emphasis on timekeeping, team chemistry - such as having breakfast and lunch together - and ensuring that they follow the lifestyle that a footballer should.

Laporta's message

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also gave a message to the players, making clear that the change of coach was due to the poor form shown by the team and that there was not a positive vibe coming from the dressing room.

"We are ready to fight for all the trophies [on offer]," Laporta stated.

"The league is not beyond reach."

The session was also attended by injured players such as Gerard Pique, Martin Braithwaite, Eric Garcia, Ansu Fati and Ousmane Dembele.

Xavi greeted the players one by one before having a special moment with Dembele, a player he is keen for Barcelona to keep hold of, with the Frenchman's contract currently set to come to an end next summer.