Luis Enrique, the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, had previously stated that Xavi’s football style more closely resembles Barcelona than the midfielder’s current team. Xavi now claims to have a “great relationship” with Enrique.

On Wednesday, the two teams square off in the first leg of their quarterfinal Champions League match.

In what was Xavi’s last season as a player for Barcelona, Luis Enrique played for the team for eight years before spending an additional three as manager. During his first season in charge, the team won both the La Liga title and the Champions League.

After taking over as manager in 2014, he won eight major trophies while playing an attacking, flowing, and possession-based style of football.

When asked which of the two managers best embodies Barcelona’s aesthetic, Luis Enrique said, “Me, without a doubt.” Examine the facts about ball possession, scoring opportunities, and intense pressure.

“Observe the prizes and titles. It’s data, not an opinion. Me, without a question! It’s possible that others feel differently.

Prior to the match at Parc des Princes, Xavi, who won the league title in his first full season as the team’s manager, tried to downplay concerns of oneupmanship.

When asked to react to his old teammate’s remarks, Xavi remarked, “I’ve seen him, he’s Luis Enrique.”

“I have an excellent relationship with him and I know him well. We are playing a very tough opponent, he has a team designed to win the Champions League, and we both want a similar style.

We have the Barca DNA, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Mikel Arteta to our names. We’ll be searching for the same thing tomorrow; after that, it’s up to the players to locate our unique DNA.

“I’ve already said that we’re looking for the same thing, maybe I’m a bit better than him, but we’re looking for exactly the same thing,” Xavi remarked in response to more questions. No further disputes exist.

While Barca last won the Champions League in 2014, under Xavi’s captaincy, PSG has never done so.

The fact that the French team signed Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona last summer, in Xavi’s opinion, indicates that they should enter the match as the favorites.

He remarked, “I really think it’s not a strategy.” They have a lot more money than us and have taken Dembele away from us, therefore I believe they are favorites.

“They are a squad whose primary goal is to win the Champions League; they are from Qatar, and I know them well. If it frees up the players, then great, but in my opinion, it’s not a strategy.