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.
Barcelona have six games left this season, but already all thoughts will be turning to the coming campaign, as Xavi Hernandez looks set to exit. The 44-year-old announced his intention to resign in January, and having come up short in the crucial moments of the season, there seems little argument for that decision to change.
While Xavi declared that he had not been made aware of any meeting before El Clasico, MD assure that this week Barcelona will meet with the coach to discuss their plans for next season. His continuity is not impossible, but it is now expected that they settle his exit in the summer. Prior to El Clasico, it had been maintained that President Joan Laporta was keen to hold onto him, but that now looks a difficult U-turn to make for both.
Xavi: "We have the goal of continuing to fight and get second place, which gives us access to play another competition."
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 21, 2024
Barca Atletic coach Rafael Marquez is the hot favourite to take over. The Mexican is the cheap option, and while other candidates mentioned such as Hansi Flick and Thomas Tuchel remain available, their names have lost strength in the running to replace Xavi.
Marquez is authoring a fine season with Barca Atletic currently, who sit in second position in their Primera RFEF group, six points of leaders Deportivo La Coruna. That said, there is no escaping the fact it would be his first job at that level, and he has not received the same praise as the likes of Garcia Pimienta, Luis Enrique or Pep Guardiola during their time in the same job.
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