Barcelona fullback Jordi Alba insists former coach Ronald Koeman didn't deserve to be sacked.

Despite being dismissed and replaced by Xavi Hernandez, leaving the Blaugrana in a troubled position domestically and in the Champions League, Alba didn't want to have a bad word said about his former coach.

"No," Alba said, asked if he thought the change to Xavi should have been made earlier. "I think Koeman did a very good job.

"We won the Copa Del Rey when nobody expected us to, and every coach has their own style. I'm grateful to Koeman for what he did with me and the whole team."

Despite his affection for Koeman, Alba did express his excitement with Xavi's arrival on the bench.

"Now we have a new coach because the president decided to have one and I'm happy that Xavi is here," Alba added. "He had to come here, because he knows the club.

"I'm very happy with his arrival and I'm sure he'll help us a lot."

Speaking more about Xavi, Alba admitted that he has limited knowledge of the former midfielder as a coach.

"I've only known him [as a coach] for a week," Alba said. "He was always very intensely into football as a player, and now as a coach.

"He has emphasised the importance of talking to everyone, especially those who don't play.

"That's a positive for the whole team to buy into and to get back to being ourselves. We did well against Espanyol, now we have to improve a lot. I think he has good ideas."