Legendary "Barcelona" midfielder Xavi was not very impressed by the victory of the French national team in this year's World Cup, but the football player admitted that coaches often choose to play primitive football during such tournaments.
Xavi knows very well what it means to triumph in a World Cup - besides two European Championship titles, the midfielder with the Spanish national team also became a world champion in 2010.
The Spanish national team under Del Bosque played a possession-based football that was unbeatable for other teams for several years.
"Coaches are more pragmatic in the World Cup because they are afraid of being eliminated. It is a tournament where one mistake could cost you. I understand them in essence, but I am from a different school - I like to have the ball at my feet, make risky decisions," - the Catalan said in an interview with "Marca".
"In 70 or 80 percent of the World Cup, teams avoid risks and wait for the chance to score. In my opinion, it is very frustrating. Of course, results are always what convinces people, but not me.
France only showed that they are champions. They played a very organized football, but not very attractive to the eyes. They were saved by the fact that they had many high-class players in the team.
They worked hard in defense, waiting for moments to launch quick attacks, as they had Griezmann and Mbappe. However, in my philosophy, such things are unacceptable," - added Xavi.
