David Prats, head coach of Al Shamal, speaks from Qatar with the calm of someone who has found his place away from the European media spotlight. The current Al Shamal manager, who was part of FC Barcelona’s coaching staff alongside Xavi Hernández, discusses his transition to the top job, his vision of modern football, and his experience at Barça.
Prats admits his move to Qatar was no coincidence. “It all started because I had already been here with Xavi as an assistant for Al Sadd’s first team. We were very happy, very comfortable, and I had great memories of the league and the country.” After his stint at Barça ended, a conversation with Xavi pointed the way. “I consider him a very good friend, and he told us: ‘If you have the chance to do something else and it motivates you, go ahead. He needed a break.'”
That open door turned into a concrete opportunity. “One day I got a call from Qatar offering me the head coach position. I said I had to talk to Xavi first. It was important for me to share it with him. He gave me his full support.” So in December, Prats landed at Al Shamal: “We came for six months, things went well, we renewed, and here we are.”
David Prats celebrates a goal for Al Shamal.
The leap from analyst to head coach didn’t catch him off guard. “Honestly, it was pretty much what I expected. My previous experiences helped me a lot, especially being alongside Xavi and seeing how he managed day-to-day life, both at Barça and in Qatar. I had a fresh idea of what to do.”
One major change he has noticed is the growth of Qatari football. “What surprised me most is the level. It has risen a lot, both in coaches and players. There are more and more coaches with strong resumes and experience, and they’ve also opened up the foreign player market. That raises the competition.”
Regarding the rise of ‘Big Data,’ Prats holds a clear stance, inherited from his time at Barça. “Xavi and I always talked about it: data is a great help, but it can never be the one making decisions. I watch matches and players first, and then the data helps me confirm what I’ve seen. Not the other way around.”
As for his identity as a coach, there are clear roots, but also evolution. “I grew up at Barça from a young age, and that’s within me: being dominant with the ball, pressing high… that’s always there. But football has taught me to adapt. Before, I was perhaps more rigid; now I adapt to what I have to get the best out of it.”
David Prats makes history with Al Shamal in Qatar.
That flexibility, he explains, is key in different contexts. “It’s not the same to be at a team with high aspirations as at a more humble club like Al Shamal. You have your idea, your model, but you must adjust it to reality. That experience comes with years and having lived through different situations.”
Prats doesn’t hesitate when naming his inspirations. “Xavi is far above everyone else, both personally and professionally. For me, he is a top coach.” Beyond that, he acknowledges influences from coaches like Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Jürgen Klopp. “I like to observe, pick up ideas, see what they do well, and adapt it to my own.”
“Xavi Was Treated Unfairly at Barça”
Inevitably, the conversation turns to his time at Barça. And there, David Prats is forceful. “The pressure is immense. You’re at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, and you have to win and play well always. Even as an analyst, you feel it.”
The hardest part, however, wasn’t the sporting demand. “What hurt me most were the unfounded criticisms aimed at us, especially at Xavi. He didn’t deserve it; he was treated unfairly. And what’s more, we weren’t protected from within.”
David Prats was part of Xavi Hernández’s coaching staff at Barcelona.
