EXCLUSIVE: XAVI ON THE GENIUS OF PEP

Pep has Barcelona DNA and he’s given that to Man City. But his teams, his records, his trophies do not just happen.. he achieves it because he’s obsessive about winning

XAVI claims Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are “playing with the DNA of Barcelona”.

The midfield maestro saw how Guardiola works when they won two Champions Leagues and three successive La Ligas in just four years at Barcelona and says the Catalan is using the same successful formula at the Etihad.

City are already 15 points ahead in the title race because of their record 18-match winning streak and Xavi is not surprised by how well they are doing under Guardiola.

Xavi says the key to his success is that he hates losing.

“City are playing with the DNA of Barcelona, but that is no surprise,” he said. “Pep has Barcelona DNA and transmits that to Manchester City.

“The football they are playing is mesmerising. They are the in-form team in Europe and as good as their players are, Pep has to take credit for the football they are playing and the form they are in.

“Pep teams do not just happen, these record runs do not just happen, treble-winning seasons do not just happen – they happen because Pep is obsessive about winning.

“He is focused, he hates to lose and that becomes infectious with the players.”

Xavi claims Guardiola has also answered all the critics who claimed he would have to adapt his philosophy to suit English football when he finished his debut campaign empty-handed.

“Last season people were saying he had to adjust his style for the Premier League,” said the former Spain star and 2010 World Cup winner.

“He refused and now people are saying Manchester City are playing the best football the Premier League has ever seen.

“I knew he would not compromise on his beliefs. Many coaches have the same beliefs as Pep on how the game should be played, but only Pep can communicate it at the most pure level.”

Xavi, 37, who is now with Qatari side Al Sadd SC, also hailed Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva, claiming the Belgium playmaker is City’s Lionel Messi.

“Pep’s teams win as teams, but even the most special sides need that player to look to when they need something special,” he said.

“At Barcelona we had it with Messi and this team Manchester City have it with De Bruyne.

“Every time he has the ball, you get the feeling that he is going to do something special with it.

“Not every game you can win 3-0 or 4-0, especially in the Champions League and that is when you need one moment of brilliance from a special player.

“David Silva is playing the best football of his career. I can see just from watching him he is learning off Pep. He is not a young player any more, but when you have a player of such intelligence and such vision, it does not matter.”

City remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple and the Premier League looks sewn up, while they are through to the semifinals of the League Cup.

Xavi claims the Champions League is more unpredictable, but says City have as good a chance as any of Europe’s other big guns.

“It is impossible to predict the Champions League because anything can happen,” said Xavi, who lifted the trophy with Guardiola in 2009 and 2011.

“But the way Pep has Manchester City playing, you have to say they have as good a chance as anybody.

“Barcelona, PSG and Bayern have a big chance.

But Pep has given

City the belief they can go all the way.”

The football is mesmerising. I knew he would not compromise