Barcelona: Xavi welcomed by stars, 10 thousand at Camp Nou

Almost 10,000 fans at the Camp Nou welcomed Xavi Hernandez during the press conference to present the new Barcelona coach. The legendary former midfielder came out to the song of "Xavi, Xavi", before signing his contract on the pitch, along with his family and Barca president Joan Laporta. "I don't want to be too emotional, so I'll just say one thing: we are the best club in the world", reiterated the former Al Sadd coach in front of 9,422 fans. "We will work to the highest standards to be successful. We cannot accept losses or draws, we must win every match." Laporta underlined: "Today is a historic day for Barca".

    Xavi is the first Barca coach to be presented on the pitch in front of the fans, inside the 99,000-seat stadium, a mode usually reserved only for the club's biggest signings.

The 41-year-old's return as manager, six years after leaving Barcelona to play and then coach in Qatar, has generated great enthusiasm and raised hopes that the club, ninth in La Liga and grappling with debt of over a billion euros, could return to the elite of the best European companies.