Xavi's first 100 days as FC Barcelona coach
Exactly 100 days have passed since Xavi Hernández took over as coach at FC Barcelona so we take a look back at the three months or so since last November when the Barça legend returned to the club as boss.
Xavi Hernández is not the only person to recently have returned to the club with Dani Alves and Adama also coming back for a second spells as players along with other new signings Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Climbing up table
Xavi's most recent match in charge was Sunday's 2-2 draw at Espanyol in La Liga and the first meeting against Barça's city rivals at Camp Nou was the new coach's first game in charge back in November. Barça won 1-0 that day thanks to a Memphis penalty and team under the former blaugrana midfielder have now claimed 22 of a possible 33 points in La Liga. Six wins, four draws and just the one defeat in the league, the loss to Betis at Camp Nou, mean that Xavi has taken Barça up to the top four in the table and a Champions League qualification place.
Results in other competitions have not been quite as impressive, it must be admitted. Xavi could not avoid Barça finishing third in their Champions League group and in the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, the blaugranes were eliminated by Athletic Club and Real Madrid respectively.
As such, there are two big challenges left in the season for the new boss: ensure a top four finish in La Liga and Champions League football next season and also attempt to add the UEFA Europa League title for the very first time to Barça's list of honours.
Xavi's men
In his first 100 days in charge Xavi has used 33 different players with only midfielder Nico playing in every game under the new coach. Eight players have formed the spine of the team under Xavi: Ter Stegen (15 games), Sergio (15), Araujo (15), Piqué (15), Jordi Alba (14), Frenkie de Jong (15), Gavi (13) and Nico (16).
In attack the top scorer under Xavi is none other than Luuk de Jong: with his late equaliser against Espanyol on Sunday, the Dutchman has scored for goals for the new coach, all of them important. The other 21 goals in the period have been well shared out amongst the rest of the squad.
Behind Luuk de Jong comes seven players who have scored twice under Xavi: Memphis Depay, Nico, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, Araujo and Ferran Jutglà. Finally, most assists have been provided by Dani Alves; three in just five appearances from the Brazilian.