New Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has imposed a series of rules he hopes will help the club rediscover their form on the pitch, sources have told ESPN.
Xavi, 41, replaced Ronald Koeman as Barca coach last week and said at his presentation on Monday he would "restore order" at the club, who are currently ninth in LaLiga.
Sources explained that Xavi has reintroduced the fines system which has not been used since Ernesto Valverde replaced Luis Enrique in 2017. Players will pay financial penalties if they breach any of the guidelines in place, with repeat offenders having to pay more.
The rules include players needing to arrive at least 90 minutes early for training to allow time to properly prepare for the sessions and, if necessary, for individual talks with the coaching staff. The Barca squad will once again be asked to eat at the training ground, too, another habit that has been lost in recent seasons. Xavi has also installed a midnight curfew in the 48 hours leading up to a match and will review the players' commitments off the pitch, which will include preventing them from partaking in any activity deemed an injury risk, such as surfing or riding an electric scooter.
As a result, defender Gerard Pique has already had to pull out of an appearance on a late night talk show in Spain next week. Pique had been due to discuss the Davis Cup, which he organises, on El Hormiguero. -- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens
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