Inside the controversy of Barcelona midfielder’s fitness leak linked to Xavi

A recent report in SPORT has revealed surprising details about how Pedri’s fitness reports were leaked during Xavi’s time as Barcelona’s manager. 

The source of this information is journalist Xavi Valls, who shared his perspective on the sports programme La Posesion. 

Valls openly expressed that he was initially sceptical of Pedri’s ability to perform consistently at a high level, especially given the fitness issues that surrounded him during Xavi’s reign. 

Xavi’s entourage leaked the news

However, his doubts weren’t entirely unfounded—they were influenced by people close to Xavi. 

According to Valls, insiders in Xavi’s circle communicated concerns about Pedri’s physical limitations, suggesting that the young midfielder struggled to maintain his form due to recurring fitness issues. 

They felt these challenges might hinder Pedri’s ability to deliver consistent performances over an entire season.

Pedri’s physical fitness suffered during Xavi’s reign. (Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images)

These views led to lingering concerns within the club, especially about how to manage Pedri’s playing time without risking his long-term health.

“The previous coach’s entourage slipped us that they believed that Pedri had a lot of difficulties to perform continuously due to physical causes,” he said.

Pedri’s entourage blamed Xavi

On the other side, Pedri’s team believed that his difficulties were exacerbated by Xavi’s handling of his recovery and game time. 

They reportedly felt that Xavi rushed him back onto the field before he was fully ready, which may have impacted Pedri’s ability to regain his peak form. This disagreement only added to the tension between Xavi and certain representatives within the club.

“Pedri’s entourage blamed Xavi for making him play ahead of time and for not managing his comebacks well,” he added.

The strain was not limited to Pedri’s situation. The general frustration that Xavi felt toward the influence of certain player entourages, which included Pedri’s representatives. 

“Xavi was quite tired of the environment and the representatives of some players,” he noted. These individuals often clashed with Xavi on various matters, including how certain players’ fitness and recovery were managed.