‘You have to go’ – Former Barcelona star takes aim at Xavi for lack of honesty | OneFootball

‘You have to go’ – Former Barcelona star takes aim at Xavi for lack of honesty | OneFootball

Icon: Get Spanish Football News

Get Spanish Football News

·13 October 2024

‘You have to go’ – Former Barcelona star takes aim at Xavi for lack of honesty

Article image:‘You have to go’ – Former Barcelona star takes aim at Xavi for lack of honesty

Former Barcelona star Sergiño Dest has this weekend provided an insight into the difficulties he was subjected to by ex-boss Xavi whilst at the club.

Defender Dest, for his part, brought a permanent close to his stint in Barcelona colours this past summer.


OneFootball Videos


After enduring a somewhat tumultuous time of things on his way to a half-century of La Liga appearances, the American international was farmed out on a pair of loans over the last two seasons.

After shining across the latter in The Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven, Dest, in turn, saw his temporary move made permanent by the Dutch champions.

Speaking during an interview with Diario Sport this weekend, the subject of what exactly went wrong for the right-back whilst in Spain was therefore put to Dest himself.

And, in his response, the 23-year-old was not shy in placing at least some of the blame on the shoulders of the aforementioned Xavi Hernández:

“I don’t feel like I had the necessary opportunities with Xavi. I felt like I had to play within limits, that I wasn’t myself. I wanted to join the attack, because that’s my greatest virtue, but he asked me not to go up.”

From here, Dest went on to reveal that Xavi was also less than honest with him, when it came to his future with the club:

“I don’t think he was honest with me. We had several conversations where he told me one thing but then I doubted whether it was really true. In the summer, before going on holiday, he told me “I’m counting on you, don’t read the press.” And as soon as I got back, he told me “you have to go.”

Conor Laird – GSFN

View publisher imprint