Former Russian national team forward Sergei Kiryakov, who wore Dynamo Moscow colors and later featured for Karlsruhe and Hamburg in the Bundesliga, weighed in on a dispute surrounding Barcelona and its coach Xavi. The discussion centers on reports that Xavi was instructed to reinstate a technique that had already been published, a move that has sparked debate about how top clubs handle training methods and the materials associated with them.
“This is very strange. It’s a solid club, but things like this happen here”, Kiryakov said. “It feels like disrespect to the coach. I have not seen anything like this in Russia, and I have not experienced it at all. If parting ways becomes necessary, it should be done civilly, and clubs should provide the tools needed to communicate with representatives abroad. I experienced similar situations at Tula and at Leningradets, and in those cases, the equipment remained intact.”
The veteran noted that he still retains digital media from training camps during his time at Leningradets, though no one has ever asked for it back. He considers the situation at a prestigious club such as Barcelona to be perplexing. He also argued that the idea of clawing back equipment to save money is unlikely to yield meaningful gains for a club of Barcelona’s stature.
Spanish journalist Juan Fontes later reported that Barcelona’s management allegedly asked Xavi to return the iPhone and iPad issued to him for personal use while he was at the club. Fontes’s account adds another layer to the discussion about how clubs manage devices and the privileges granted to managers during their tenure, especially when those assets are part of broader sponsorship and communications ecosystems.
In a separate thread of football conversation, Mbappe had previously articulated a condition connected to his willingness to represent the French national team. The mention underscores the ongoing tension between a player’s commitments to national duty and a club’s expectations, a dynamic that often colors discussions about resources, obligations, and the use of club assets in a global game.
Taken together, these remarks point to a broader trend in modern football where elite teams must balance tradition with the realities of digital asset management, staff communications, and cross-border collaboration. The incident in Barcelona illustrates how questions about who owns what, how equipment is used, and what gets returned can become symbolic in nature, reflecting deeper concerns about respect, governance, and the proper conduct of professional relationships in a world where everything from data access to communications devices plays a part in performance and reputation.
For fans and analysts in Canada, the United States, and beyond, the episode serves as a reminder that the front offices of top clubs are not just about tactics and salaries. They also involve delicate handling of personnel, equipment, and information — areas that require clear policies and fair practices. As clubs expand their operations internationally, the management of devices, training materials, and digital media becomes increasingly important, not only for day-to-day efficiency but also for maintaining trust among players, staff, and supporters. The Barcelona case, with its mix of public statements and behind-the-scenes logistics, may well foreshadow how other teams address similar concerns in an era where data and devices are as central to sport as jerseys and stadiums. It remains to be seen how Barcelona will respond and whether this discussion will influence how clubs frame asset management, personnel relations, and the civil handling of disputes in the future.