Xavi Hernandez says that whoever replaces Vicente del Bosque as Spain's new national coach must not disrupt the style of play which has brought the team such success through recent years, while suggesting Paco Jemez, Michel and Julen Lopetegui as potential candidates.
Xavi was a key member of the Spain team which stylishly won Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, but then exited in the group stage at the World Cup in Brazil two years ago.
Following a round-of-16 failure at Euro 2016 in France, long-serving coach Del Bosque parted ways with the nation, with no clear candidate to replace him having yet emerged.
Current favourites for the position include former Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, Mallorca and Granada coach Joaquin Caparros, ex-Spain under-21 and Porto manager Lopetegui, plus Euro 2000 and World Cup 2002 coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
Others mentioned in the speculation include recently installed Granada coach Jemez and former Sevilla, Olympiakos and Marseille manager Michel.
In an interview with AS, Xavi said the most important thing was that the new coach did not change the playing style which the team had used throughout the last decade or more.
"The idea must be the same as Vicente, Luis Aragones, which we began to play a bit with Camacho, and that Inaki Saez already had," Xavi said. "There are fewer and fewer coaches who believe in this style. But this is how we have won things. I like the ideas of Paco [Jemez], but also of Michel or Lopetegui."
Although currently living in Qatar where he combines playing for Al-Sadd with coaching youth players, Xavi said he was in regular touch with the Spanish FA and felt that the organisation needed to fill its current vacancy at sporting director.
"I have a very good relationship with them, they do very good work," he said. "[RFEF president Angel Maria] Villar for me is a very proven person for Spanish football -- I spoke with him recently. He is a gentleman, a football man and very hard working. I believe [a sporting director] is important. Not just to monitor all the players who could be called up, but also to be a link between the coaching staff and the players."
When Villar ends his three-decade long stretch as RFEF president, Xavi said the current players union (AFE) chief and former Hamilton Academical midfielder Luis Rubiales would make a suitable successor.
"When Villar goes, the person I see capable of taking over the federation is Luis Rubiales," he said. "He is very committed, and knows football as he has played it, and he has a good relationship with everyone. I would like him to lead the federation one day. But that will be when Villar decides to go."
The official statement on Del Bosque leaving said he had agreed with Villar to take up a new position with the federation, although the 65-year-old suggested on radio show El Primer Toque he would not be involved in any hands-on role above the new coach.
"We met with the president and his generous plan was to stay with the federation," Del Bosque said. "I did not share this idea. We reached an agreement, for if I can help with anything.
"But not in technical areas as the next coach must not feel like there is someone watching over him. We will find a way of doing it. There are many good coaches in Spain, and any of them could do the job. It is normal that they would want to do it."