Former Barcelona captain Xavi admits he initially thought Louis van Gaal was an "idiot" but changed his mind after a week working with him.
The ex-Spain international was a youngster breaking through at the Nou Camp when Van Gaal was in charge at Barca and his first impression was not great.
However, he soon altered his view and grew to love the Dutchman - a feeling which does not yet appear to have materialised among Manchester United fans since he took over at Old Trafford last year, with Xavi admitting the 64-year-old is also "poorly valued in the media".
“After two days of training under him I thought, ‘Who is this idiot?’ After a week, I thought, ‘He’s right.’ He’ll always be in my heart, Louis van Gaal,” Xavi, now playing for Qatari club Al Sadd, told ESPN FC.
“[He is a] good person, very good trainer. He has a very strong character but he’s calm in the Premier League because there’s less pressure.
“He’s much calmer than when he was at Barca or Bayern Munich. He’s honest, methodical and a real perfectionist.
“He’s very demanding, he’s strict and he wants to achieve the highest levels possible.
“He’s a tough fighter, yet he put trust into me when I was 17 and 18 years old.”
Xavi also has experience of being coached by Jose Mourinho, who worked for Van Gaal at Barcelona, and he had nothing but praise for the Portuguese, whose methods are under growing scrutiny at Chelsea.
“He was excellent in his three years at Barca,” Xavi added.
“They said he was a translator. Rubbish. He was the assistant coach, someone who understood the philosophy of Barca and who shared many of the same characteristics of Van Gaal.
“He was very respected by the players. He trained us sometimes alone at Barca B and he was excellent.
“I’m surprised that he became known for another type of football, more defensive, because he wasn’t like that with us.”
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More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
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Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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Take your litter home with you
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
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