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.
It’s no secret that Barcelona have had problems at right-back over the last few years. Since Dani Alves left the club at the end of his first spell in 2016, no one has been able to make the position their own, despite numerous players having been signed to fill the Brazilian’s void.
Barcelona had hoped that this would be behind them for this season at least, as Joao Cancelo arrived from Manchester City during the summer. However, the Portuguese has proven himself to be much more useful on the left side, where he has displaced Alejandro Balde in recent weeks.
This has caused Xavi Hernandez to utilise central defenders in the right-back area. Jules Kounde was used there last season, but publicly admitted that he does not like playing out of position. Equally, as Diario AS have reported, Ronald Araujo – who has played there of late – is in the same boat.
As such, Xavi is facing a rather large problem. He does not have a player at his disposal that wants to play at right-back in the way that he wants his team to set up. Kounde is likely to remain there for the time being at least, having impressed there against Atletico Madrid, but Barcelona may well look to the transfer market next summer to address this seemingly never-ending issue.
Image via LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images
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