Luis Enrique Criticizes Barcelona’s Style Under Xavi, Compares It to Eibar

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has criticized Barcelona’s style of play under Xavi Hernández, describing it as “long ball football like Eibar.”

Luis Enrique made these comments in a new documentary reflecting on his first season with the Ligue 1 champions.

PSG faced Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season, losing the first leg 3-2 in Paris but bouncing back to win the second leg 4-1.

“It’s not true to say that Barça were better; that’s completely false,” Enrique stated. “They relied on long balls. [Goalkeeper Marc-André] ter Stegen set a record for long passes—24 in that match. They played like Eibar. You can call it the third man if you’re a fan of Xavi.”