Xavi on Qatar’s World Cup chances: “They can become the loose cannon of the tournament” | OneFootball

Current Barcelona and former Al Sadd manager Xavi has stated his belief around Qatar’s chances in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Xavi had managed Al Sadd for around two years from 2019 to 2021 and he left the club to join Barcelona last year. He also played at Al Sadd after his stint at Barcelona had ended back in 2015 and he spent four years at the Qatari club till 2019.

The Spaniard recently gave his views about the tournament and Qatar national team itself in an event organised by Visit Qatar and he believes that the NT can be a ‘loose cannon’ in the World Cup.

The former midfielder stated, as per TuttomercatoWeb:

“Qatar is not only the host nation, it can really become the loose cannon of the tournament.”

He further spoke about the opportunity he got in Qatar to play and manage: “I feel honored and proud to have played and coached Al-Sadd. In retrospect I can say it: coming to Doha was a good decision both for me and for my family.”

The Spaniard also gave his views about how Qatar has grown from a footballing perspective and how the football culture has become vibrant.

“Football has also developed a lot in Qatar. The World Cup project has brought about improvements not only in the structures, but also on the pitch. Today, Qatar has a national team capable of competing on the most prestigious scene in world football, a national team capable to have its say at the World Cup.”

Qatar start their tournament and kick off the World Cup as a whole on Sunday, as they take on Ecuador. Their group includes Netherlands and Senegal.

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