Xavi Hernandez - a legend of world football, a Spanish player who became one of the most influential and technically gifted players of his generation. He was born on January 25, 1980, in Terrassa, Spain, and displayed his football talent from a young age. Xavi became renowned for his outstanding passing skills and ball control. He possessed a unique ability to control the game on the field, distribute passes, and create attacks for his team.
He began his professional career in 1998, joining the youth team of Barcelona. Over time, he became an integral part of Barcelona's main squad and a product of the legendary La Masia academy. He spent 17 years at FC Barcelona, eventually becoming its captain and one of the main inspirations behind the "tiki-taka" style of play.
Xavi helped Barcelona win numerous domestic and international trophies, including 8 La Liga titles and 4 UEFA Champions League titles. He became the heart and soul of the team, and his on-field leadership was invaluable to Barcelona's success during that period. Xavi is also a key figure for the Spanish national team. With the national squad, he won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
His intellectual approach to the game and his ability to create opportunities for his teammates made him an irreplaceable player for the national team. After leaving Barcelona in 2015, Xavi moved to Qatari club Al-Sadd, where he continued to showcase his skills and leadership. He helped the team win several national titles and became a symbol of football development in Qatar.
In addition to his playing career, Xavi has shown an interest in coaching. He has completed coaching courses and expressed a desire to one day manage his former team, Barcelona. Xavi Hernandez is not only a player of exceptional class but also a symbol of virtuosity, game reading ability, and leadership on the field. His style and contribution to world football will be remembered by generations of fans.
The Catalans' dramatic 3-2 quarter-final first leg victory in Paris is arguably their finest result away from home in the competition in the last decade, sparking big dreams in Catalonia. "I understand the euphoria - it's better to live with euphoria than with pessimism," said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez on Saturday.
Xavi's side which snatched victory at the Parc des Princes featured the two youngest players ever to play in the final eight of the Champions League, in 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, and Pau Cubarsi, 17. That fresh blood has brought new life to a team not only struggling this season but which has been weighed down mentally by failure stacked on failure since they last triumphed in Europe in 2015.
The Catalans lifted the trophy in Berlin with current PSG coach Luis Enrique at the helm, propelled by the magical strike force of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez. The years since have been a collection of dramatic collapses on the biggest stages on the continent and, worse still, ignominious defeats in earlier rounds.
Yamal and Cubarsi are untainted by the psychological damage of those defeats and Xavi has praised their mentality. "(Yamal) is very calm and very mature, so measured in the sense that he bears everything so well that's happening to him, despite his young age," said Xavi in March.
After Cubarsi shone to help Barcelona progress from the last 16 against Napoli, Xavi offered similar praise. "He has a very well furnished brain," said the coach.
Cubarsi's cool was just what Barcelona lacked when they threw away a 4-1 first leg lead to crash out in 2018 at Roma in the quarter-finals, pounded 3-0 at the Olympic Stadium in the Italian capital. The following season they collapsed at an ecstatic Anfield, unable to
Read on besoccer.com