“You Need to Win to Understand What It Means!” – Thierry Henry Recalls Brutal Reality Check From Xavi During His FC Barcelona Days

“Més que un club”—a phrase we have often heard in the halls of Camp Nou. Some know it as the motto of FC Barcelona, while for the Blaugrana supporters, it’s more than that. Although it translates to ‘more than a club,‘ Thierry Henry reflects that he once couldn’t grasp its profound significance, which forced Xavi to confront him by saying, ‘Don’t talk about my club like that.’

The story comes from Henry on the recent CBS Sports Golazo show. It is from the time when he was playing under Frank Rijkaard in 2007, having arrived from Arsenal. He narrated that while stepping on the Camp Nou pitch to train, the famous motto caught his eye. “I was looking at it and said, ‘Why? What is that quote?’ and Xavi poked my shoulder. I turned and asked, ‘What do you want?’ He said, ‘I heard what you said. You don’t understand what it means. You need to win here to understand what it means. Don’t talk about my club like that,'” described Henry. 

Although he didn’t get what Xavi was implying, Henry later realized. “I was like, ‘What?’ and then I went, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ I didn’t win here. I’ll get that when I win. And then I looked at him and I was like, ‘This is why this guy is different. This is why he wants to win and he cares about this club,'” added the World Cup winner. Henry acknowledged that clubs like Barcelona must have players like Xavi, who should exhibit such passion. Notably, this wasn’t the only praise from Henry!

Following the Catalan club’s 1-1 draw against Napoli in UCL RO16, leg 1, Xavi is facing criticism. However, the lethal goalscorer quickly came in support of him.

Thierry Henry seemed satisfied with Xavi’s efforts at FC Barcelona

Thierry Henry came in support of Xavi, as the Spanish coach has been facing a lot of backlash lately. The French icon asserted that he doesn’t care about what others say, as he is impressed with his job at Barcelona. Henry added that Xavi taught him a lot about soccer and highlighted the Spaniard’s La Liga win last year. 

READ MORE: Fabregas Leaves Doors Open for FC Barcelona Future; Slams Criticisms on Xavi’s Competence – “See Their Day-to-Day Work”

Henry took his analysis further by drawing a comparison between Xavi and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. “Your brain, for me, is second to none. In terms of how you seen the game, only Pep compares to you,” added Henry. Indeed, this is quite a heartfelt confession from the pundit, which would certainly uplift Xavi’s spirits. 

WATCH THIS STORY: Max Verstappen joins Lionel Messi in creating special historic feat