Barcelona coach Xavi admits he's had very difficult times over the past year.

Speaking at an event in his native Terrassa, the former midfielder revealed that he has had his toughest moments in sport since taking over as head coach at the Camp Nou.

"There are times when you think it's not worth it being Barcelona head coach because everyone talks," said Xavi.

However, he did insist that he has never thought about leaving his post because he is "very stubborn and a big Barcelona fan", even though he has no "financial need" to put up with the stress of the job. As a fan, he feels lucky to be doing what he's doing and he intends to keep being true to himself and his philosophies.

The Catalan coach went on to explain that he is "privileged" to be in the position he's in and to have played so long in the Blaugrana midfield. He also used himself as an example of the virtues of Barcelona's playing style.

"As a player, I wasn't strong, skilful or fast," said Xavi.

"And thanks to the playing style implanted by Johan [Cruyff] of keeping possession of the ball, I was able to have a career.

"My playing idea is to always have the ball, even if there are days like against Real Madrid, when the opposition took the ball and we had to defend. And defending is also part of our DNA and of football."