Barcelona veteran Xavi has refuted claims that the Catalan giants are beginning to decline after a period of unrivalled success.
The Blaugrana have been unable to escape the clutches of rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in a three-way battle for the La Liga title, and have seen their dominance in the Champions League diminish in recent seasons.
Xavi, however, has claimed that the Camp Nou outfit are well capable of maintaining their place among Europe's elite, telling the Daily Mail: "No, absolutely no (we are not in decline). I don't think so.
"Barcelona can carry on winning trophies. We won't suddenly be down. This is a spectacular crop of players.
"Look at the ages of the players: [Cesc] Fabregas, [Lionel] Messi, [Andres] Iniesta, [Dani] Alves, now Neymar, Jordi Alba and (Gerard) Pique - they are all around 26, 27, 28, 29 years old. That's a great generation of footballers."
Barca secured three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey medals and twice won the UEFA Champions League under the stewardship of former coach Pep Guardiola.
Giuseppe Labellarte
