Xavi has been backed to enjoy a "remarkable" coaching career by former team-mate Andres Iniesta, despite Barcelona's Champions League exit on Wednesday.
Barca trail Real Madrid by just three points at the top of LaLiga after winning nine of their first 11 games this season, but have received heavy criticism following another European failure.
Inter's 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen put Barca out of contention for a top-two finish in Group C on Wednesday, and the Blaugrana failed to salvage any pride in a subsequent 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich – their sixth consecutive Champions League loss to the Bavarians.
Iniesta, however, believes Xavi will recover from that setback, telling Corriere dello Sport it brings him "so much joy" to see his former midfield partner in the Camp Nou dugout.
"He is a friend and he will have a remarkable career," Iniesta said. "He is prepared, he has studied and had Barcelona as his guide."
Iniesta now captains Japanese side Vissel Kobe, and while the 38-year-old acknowledges his own career is drawing to a close, he is unsure whether he will follow Xavi into coaching.
"I know that when I have to quit, it won't be a great day," he added. "I will think back to when my dad used to take me to play, I will regret many things.
"Then I will also think about the future, I don't know yet if I will be a coach or a sporting director. I still don't have clear ideas."
Iniesta and Xavi formed one of the most iconic midfield partnerships in football history, contributing to four Champions League triumphs between 2005-06 and 2014-15 during a golden age for Barca.
Young midfielders Pedri and Gavi have earned comparisons to that duo after emerging as key players in Xavi's side, and Iniesta hopes they can replicate their achievements.
"They said to me that I resembled [Pep] Guardiola, then there was Xavi," Iniesta said. "Now it is up to Pedri and Gavi. Football works in cycles."
Man Utd's Mazraoui sidelined after undergoing heart surgery
Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui will be absent for several weeks after undergoing a minor heart procedure.
Mazraoui joined United from Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial £12.8million (€15m) in August and has quickly established himself as the Red Devils' first-choice right-back.
He has started all seven of their Premier League games this season, with Erik ten Hag's men taking just eight points to record their worst-ever start to a campaign in the competition.
On Monday, he withdrew from Morocco's squad for two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Central African Republic, having experienced heart palpitations.
Widespread reports on Thursday then said Mazraoui had successfully undergone a corrective procedure and would return within a few weeks.
Mazraoui was withdrawn at half-time in United's goalless draw with Aston Villa on Sunday, with Harry Maguire also replaced at the interval.
Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are long-term absentees, meanwhile, leaving Ten Hag's men short in defence ahead of their return to action against Brentford on October 19.
Australia 3-1 China: Goodwin a hometown hero in Adelaide
Craig Goodwin scored a stunner and set up Australia's equaliser as they beat China 3-1 in Tony Popovic's first game in charge.
Popovic replaced Graham Arnold in September and, despite seeing his team fall behind in Thursday's World Cup qualifier, was ultimately able to celebrate a convincing win.
Goodwin was playing in front of a hometown crowd in Adelaide and smashed in a long-range, left-footed strike to put Australia in front in the 53rd minute.
The 32-year-old had earlier crossed in for Lewis Miller to head home on the stroke of half-time.
Miller's goal cancelled out Xie Wenneng's 20th-minute opener for China.
Substitute Nishan Velupillay completed the scoring late on, marking his debut in style just nine minutes after coming on.
Data Debrief: Goodwin gets Australia going
Goodwin has had 12 shots at goal and created 27 scoring chances for Australia in 2024 – the only Socceroos player to have logged 10+ in both categories.
Australia won from behind in World Cup qualifying for the first time since beating Syria in 2017, as they snapped a two-match scoreless run.
China, meanwhile, have lost their last four matches, conceding 13 goals in that run. They last lost four straight games in 2003.
Szczesny refuses to quit smoking after joining Barcelona
Experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has said that he will not quit smoking despite having gone back on his decision to retire from football to join Barcelona.
With Marc-Andre ter Stegen having suffered a serious knee injury last month, which will keep him out for a long period of time, Szczesny was persuaded to get back into football having left Juventus in August.
But the goalkeeper is of the opinion that what he does off the pitch in his personal life should be of no interest to anyone.
"There are things that I don't change in my personal life," said Szczesny in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.
"It's nobody's business if I smoke. I believe it doesn't affect what I do on the pitch, I work twice as hard."
Szczesny did admit that, while he has no intention of stopping, there are certain boundaries he puts in place.
"I don't do it in front of kids because I don't want to have a bad influence on them," he said.
Despite that, he went on to make it clear that he won't be put off by people trying to catch him out with it.
"Sometimes somebody will take a photo from the trees where I have a cigarette, that's on them, not on me.
"If somebody thinks that I will change the way I am in my personal life they can think again because I am who I am. I've been this way my whole life."
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