MADRID (AFP) - Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has criticised the style of football that Jose Mourinho's sides play, after the Portuguese's three-year reign in charge of Real Madrid came to an end last week.

The Spanish international has been a fierce critic of sides who set-up negatively to combat Barca's frequent domination of possession and says Mourinho has not left a positive lasting legacy in Real Madrid.

"I don't want people to say that I always attack Mourinho because that is not my intention, but it is evident that I don't like the football he plans on the pitch," he said.

"It can't be that a rich and powerful club plays a final of the Champions League like Chelsea did or like Manchester City have played this season or, why not say it, the way Mourinho's Real Madrid played.

"I was captivated by the Real Madrid of the galacticos. I was crazy about watching them play like this because they had an idea and a concept, but Mourinho's Real Madrid didn't have any of this, they have not left a legacy for the future."

The Spanish international also reflected on Barca's hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League and believes the wear and tear that the Catalans and Real suffer from facing each other numerous times a season has been the significant factor in both going out at the semi-finals in each of the last two seasons.