Xavi Hernandez, the legendary Barcelona midfielder, has heaped praise on Manchester City, hailing them as the best team in the world. Xavi’s comments came after Real Madrid’s current status as the European champions after eliminating the English club last season. Despite this, Xavi believes that Manchester City’s footballing style is a model for all to aspire to.

During a press conference on Monday, Xavi stated, “For me, Manchester City are the best team in the world, and their football should be a model for us to look to.” Xavi’s admiration for City extended to their coach, as he added, “They have the best coach in the world. It would be just if they win the treble.”

Xavi, who is now a manager himself, responded to Carlo Ancelotti’s comments from earlier in the day, where the Real Madrid coach praised Xavi for the way Barcelona has marched towards the LaLiga Santander title. Xavi pointed out that he also praised Real Madrid last year and said that the best team is the team that wins LaLiga as they are the most solid and consistent team.

Regarding the upcoming Copa del Rey final between Barcelona and Real Madrid, Xavi remained diplomatic, saying, “May the best team win.” However, he acknowledged that Osasuna, who Barcelona faced in a match ahead of the final, could rotate their squad, given the significance of the match.

Xavi’s focus, however, is on his team, and he hopes they can perform as well as they did against Real Betis. “They’ll be tough and will also want to compete well in this game, so we need to play as well as we did against Real Betis,” he said.

Xavi’s words show that he still has an eye for excellent football, and Manchester City’s recent form has impressed the Spanish legend. His diplomatic approach to the Copa del Rey final suggests that he remains humble despite his legendary status in the world of football.