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 manager Xavi Hernandez has claimed nobody is immune to being dropped to the bench, including star striker Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Polish striker has come in for plenty of criticism this season, with both his build-up play and his form in front of goal suffering. While he remains the top scorer for Barcelona, he has contributed just three goals since September.
After Xavi reportedly called out Lewandowski during their last match of the year at half-time, he was asked whether he would be willing to drop the 35-year-old for new signing Vitor Roque – hypothetically.
“It has already happened… I’ve already done it. I cannot treat one footballer differently than another, otherwise the group will not work well. If players are on the pitch, it’s because I believe they can help. The example is the last match between the two halves. We’re not talking about anything new here.”
At half-time in their 3-2 win over Almeria Xavi hooked Joao Felix and Andreas Christensen for Ferran Torres and Jules Kounde respectively, which could be interpreted as a warning shot to the Portuguese over his performances too.
He also confirmed that Roque could play with Lewandowski too, and played down his half-time outburst.
“Vitor can adapt to any position in the attack, he can play out wide, as a nine. As for the row, perhaps it has been given more importance than it needs, it was something more for the whole group.”
Xavi noted that he would be going slowly with Roque and his adaptation, given his age. However there is little doubt that the pressure to play the Brazilian will continue to grow if Lewandowski does not improve.
Similarly, there have been calls for Joao Felix to be dropped, after dip in his performances. Barcelona President Joan
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