Barcelona head coach Xavi celebrated his 50th game in charge at the Camp Nou with a key La Liga win over Valencia.
Xavi has already secured his first title as La Blaugrana boss, after beating Los Blancos in the 2022/23 Spanish Supercopa final in January, and he could win a domestic treble before the end of the campaign.
However, the weekend win over struggling Valencia was not just a boost to the title charge, but a personal milestone for Xavi, as he edged above his old coach Pep Guardiola as the second best-ever Barcelona manager, based on the first 50 games in charge.
50 – @FCBarcelona coaches with the highest win percentage in @LaLigaEN (at least 50 games managed):
76.3% – Pep Guardiola (152 games)
76.3% – Luis Enrique (114 games)
74.0% – XAVI HERNÁNDEZ (50 games)Leadership. 🚌 pic.twitter.com/ZEzUHr8Zv2
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 6, 2023
Xavi has racked up an impressive 37 league wins, and 118 points, compared to Guardiola’s first 50 tally of 117.
The only Barcelona manager to enjoy a better early record than Xavi, is Luis Enrique, who amassed 127 in his first 50 matches at the helm, at the start of the 2014/15 season.
Xavi also becomes the first Barcelona coach to record 37 league victories inside 50 league fixtures, level with Carlo Ancelotti, and only bettered by Zinedine Zidane and Jose Mourinho (both 39) and Miguel Munoz (40).
