Xavi started Sunday afternoon’s game against Deportivo Alaves with a starting XI made up of Ter Stegen, Araujo, Kounde, Inigo Martnez, Cancelo, Gundogan, Fermn, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski and Joao Felix.
The presence of only two home-grown players in the starting XI has been criticized by Riqui Puig, who was unable to make a regular spot for himself at Barcelona, even under Xavi.
How did Riqui Puig make his discontent clear?
The former Barcelona player has given a ‘like’ to a publication that highlighted the fact that there were only two players trained in the La Masia youth system selected in the team. Later, however, he deleted the post.
Riqui Puig left Barcelona and headed to the MLS, to Los Angeles Galaxy, in August 2022, with Xavi having been coaching the team for around six months.
The 22-year-old Catalan midfielder had failed to establish himself in the first team under either the Terrassa-born coach or previous coaches.
Riqui Puig: “Messi has come here to live the American Dream”
The player from Matadepera made the leap to the first team in the 2018/19 season and ended his time as a Cule with 57 appearances, but is now a regular with the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.
Many fans fear that Xavi is nearing a situation where he fields a starting XI without a single La Masia graduate in it, although he has given chances to a lot of young players over the course of his tenure, even if they don’t regularly start at the present moment.