Barcelona legend Xavi reveals he'll almost certainly turn to management next year - and insists his teams won't play like Jose Mourinho's

The Spanish midfielder, who has won everything there is to win, has a coaching career in mind and a strict philosophy to go with it

Xavi had his run-ins with Mourinho while playing under Guardiola (Getty)

Xavi has revealed that he will almost certainly retire from playing to move into management next year, but said that his teams will never play like Jose Mourinho's.

The former FC Barcelona midfielder has seen out the twilight of his career in Qatar with Al-Sadd, who are currently in the semi-finals of the Asian Champions League and second in the Qatar Stars League.

But while he has wound down his playing days in the Gulf, the 38-year-old playmaker has already completed his first coaching badges as he eyes a career in the dugout like former teammates Thierry Henry, Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola.

"99% this is my final season because at nearly 39 years old it is normal to be tired and have to change path," he told Corriere dello Sport.

"Now I think like a coach and I already have the first licence to take charge of a team and I will finish the Uefa Pro Licence in May.

"It's not quite yet time to announce departures but clearly I have thought about what I'm going to do."

And perhaps it is not what he is going to do that will most interest prospective employers but how.

Xavi was brought up in La Masia and experienced the most success of his glittering career in Guardiola's all-conquering Barca side at the turn of the decade.

Attacking, possession football is not optional for Xavi, it is imperative, and when asked about Jose Mourinho ahead of Wednesday's meeting between Barcelona and Inter Milan - the replaying of an infamous 2010 Champions League semi-final - the Spaniard made his thoughts clear on Mourinho and his way of working.

"He is a very defensive coach and playing against his Inter was not easy.

The trio of Iniesta, Messi and Xavi all came through La Masia (Getty)

"That is his style and he put it into practice at Chelsea and at Real Madrid.

"He takes care of all the details, he closes all the spaces and doesn't give you much.

"I prefer a different style of football. I'm not criticising but I don't like to play like that and my teams will never have this type of attitude."