XAVI SIMONS has opened up on the bizarre training methods utilised at Barcelona.
The PSV star was a part of the Spanish giants legendary academy set up before he was poached by Paris Saint-Germain in 2019.
However, he left the club on a free transfer earlier this year in order to pursue more playing time.
And that decision is paying dividends with the 19-year-old scoring 10 goals in 19 games for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Dutch title challengers.
And in a recent interview Simons opened up on his development in the Barcelona academy.
He told ESPN NL: “Believe me, at Barça you don’t work in the gym, you only work with the ball.
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“When I went to PSG, I found out that there they worked in the gym. I saw the differences directly.”
Barcelona graduate’s such as recent Golden Boy winners Pedri and Gavi are renowned for their technical quality on the ball.
It is seen as part of the DNA of the club to have players who are good with the ball at their feet, with many greats of the game seeing this dimension of their game come to the fore at the club.
It comes in contrast to many clubs who instruct players to work on their physical condition in the gym on top of their ball skills.
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Simons starred during PSV’s Europa League clash against Arsenal, with his dangerous attacking play causing The Gunners backline a plethora of problems.
The 2-0 win for the Dutch side mean Arsenal must win their final group game against FC Zurich in order to ensure they avoid a horror draw against the drop outs from the Champions League group stages.
Such a clash could include horror draws against the likes of Barcelona or Juventus, who ironically make up two of the three remaining “Super League” rebels.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
