Journalist opens up on heartwarming conversation between Xavi and Barcelona star during training

Journalist Moi Llorens has disclosed the precious conversation that went down between Barcelona manager Xavi and his in-form pupil Pedri during a training session. As per Llorens, Pedri revealed to his manager that his on-field excellence is very much influenced by Barca’s all-conquering players of their golden era.

Pedri, who has become the heartbeat of Xavi’s new-look Barcelona, is an expert at exchanging passes with his teammates. Impressed with the way he positioned his body before receiving a pass, Xavi, as per Llorens, asked the teenager the inspiration for his craft. To which the former Las Palmas man replied (via Barca Universal):

“By watching the videos of great Barça players.”

It is safe to assume Pedri was referring to Barca’s world-class midfield trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets. The trident not only won multiple La Ligas and Champions Leagues with Barcelona but also won two Euros and a World Cup with Spain.

Pedri has been one of Barcelona’s most consistent performers since moving to Camp Nou last season. The Blaugrana secured his services for a mere €17.5 million in the summer of 2019 and loaned him back to his old club Las Palmas. Ronald Koeman brought him to Camp Nou last summer and the midfielder has more than repaid his coach’s faith.

He played 37 La Liga games in his debut season in Catalonia, registering three goals and three assists. The Spaniard’s encouraging performances saw him called up to the national team for Euro 2020, where he emerged as the tournament’s best young player. He missed the early months of the 2021-22 campaign due to a hamstring injury but has put in stellar performances since recovering.

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Pedri seals a late win for Barcelona against Sevilla

Barca’s 19-year-old midfield prodigy Pedri is not exactly known for his goals; he’s more comfortable controlling the tempo and assisting his teammates. On Sunday night, however, he proved that he was not alien to the concept of dispatching world-class strikes.

With the clock ticking down, the Blaugrana were in dire need of inspiration against La Liga’s second-placed team, Sevilla. In the 72nd minute, Pedri emerged as the said inspiration, scoring an unstoppable goal from just outside the Seville box.

The Spaniard dropped his shoulder to brush aside two consecutive challenges before putting his foot through. The ball swerved to the left and nestled into the bottom-corner, away from Yassine Bounou’s reach. The win saw Barcelona climb up to second position, costing the Andalusians their spot.