Gavi has heaped praise on the personality of Jose Mourinho, admitting he relishes coming up against coaches with a strong and passionate character. The Barcelona midfielder was speaking to "ESPN" ahead of the Clasico against Real Madrid, which takes place tomorrow Sunday at the Spotify Camp Nou in the tenth round of La Liga.
Asked whether Mourinho's comments bother him, Gavi replied: "No, honestly, I like it when he talks. I like this type of coach."
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Pressed on whether he meant coaches with a passionate and strong character, he said: "Yes, I like this type of coach, and I also like facing Mourinho as an opponent. I respect him a great deal, so his statements do not bother me at all."
"Very German"
Turning to how Hansi Flick handles his players before big matches, Gavi offered a candid insight into the Barcelona boss. "Flick is very affected when things do not go according to the plan set for the team," he said. "For example, when we had to stay in Seville because of the weather conditions, he was extremely upset, because he is very German in this respect, and he does not like it when things go off plan."
The midfielder added: "He cares a great deal about the players, and he always wants everyone to be 100% ready, and to receive adequate care and rest. As he said in recent days, we have suffered from significant physical and mental fatigue, but we have to adapt to that, because we are playing consecutive matches with short gaps in between, and this is the nature of football and of the season."
And the Spain international was clear on one point. "I think what affects him (Flick) most is the players not getting enough rest."