The Barcelona squad has respect for coach Ernesto Valverde but at the same time understand that his future depends on results. The players, at the end of the day, are aware that when things go badly, the first to pay the consequences is the manager.

That said, there's also the opinion among some players, mainly those who carry the most weight, that feel the team needs a change because there have been a lot of serious setbacks: Roma, Liverpool, the Copa del Rey final, the Spanish Super Cup...

For that reason, it's one thing to respect the coach and another to have the same confidence in him as before. And that's where the doubts over Valverde have crept in.

Barça's players have openly spoken about the fact they're not playing well (Pique, Luis Suarez, ter Stegen, Busquets and even Messi have all commented), that they're making mistakes and that they need to improve.

Since the KO in the Super Cup against Atletico, and after Xavi's name hit the press, the former Barcelona midfielder has received messages and calls from his former teammates at Camp Nou.

In principle, it could seem normal given Xavi's never lost contract with several of the players, the likes of Sergi Roberto, Alba, Busquets, Pique, Messi...

These calls and messages may even have been out of pure curiosity, to try and find out what was going on and if there had been an offer from Barcelona.

In any case, Xavi's been flattered that so many of his ex-teammates think it would be a good decision to hand him the job for the present and the future.