Xavi sends message to Man City boss Pep Guardiola ahead of Manchester United vs Barcelona

Barcelona manager Xavi has labelled Pep Guardiola an inspiration and the manager who has had the most positive influence on the Premier League.

Xavi's side are preparing to face Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday, having played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou last week. The former midfielder has enjoyed an outstanding start to life as a manager of his boyhood club, leading them to the top of La Liga where they are eight points clear of Real Madrid.

With the Spanish side top of the league again, led by a former player in the dugout with a number of youngLa Masiagraduates starring on the pitch, there have been comparisons made between Xavi and the City manager. Guardiola led Barca to three league titles and two Champions League crowns with Xavi in the heart of his midfield, and the current Barcelona manager has hailed his former boss.

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"I think that foreign coaches have had a positive influence on the Premier League,” Xavi told The Times. “They have contributed important things, new concepts. The first was probably [Arsène] Wenger. That Arsenal side kept many things from English football but evidently also underwent an evolution.

“Roberto Martínez also proposed new things, but of course the one who has all the formations is Pep. Guardiola is the best coach by far. I played under him and the difference with all the other coaches, and I include myself, is a huge chasm. Pep is a genius in every sense of the word. He’s not human, he’s different, absolutely different, it’s oversize.

“I’ve had him as a teammate and as a coach, and I’m not surprised by anything he has achieved in England, because I knew he