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 star cools enthusiasm following five-star performance
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong has put the breaks on the hype train following their 5-0 demolition of Royal Antwerp in their Champions League debut. While he was satisfied with the match, the Dutch midfield conductor warned that it was not enough to raise expectations.
Manager Xavi Hernandez declared that the performance was the best he had seen since arriving back at the club, and de Jong was content with the match too.
“We’ve started well, I’m happy. We have a very good squad, players with a lot of talent and if we work well and do what we have to do, we can fight for big objectives.”
The centre of attention were new signings Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo. De Jong told Sport exactly what they bring to the side, beginning with Felix.
“He has a lot of quality and talent and he is showing it. I hope he continues like this. He will contribute a lot to us.”
“[Cancelo] is a full-back, but he moves into the middle a lot, in attack he gives us a lot, I hope he can continue like this.”
However when asked whether Barcelona might aim for more than just getting out of the group stage, as Xavi had declared was the goal on Monday, de Jong was quick to dampen down too much enthusiasm.
“It’s only the first game, it’s too early to say anything else.”
Barcelona travel to Porto in their next Champions League clash, where they will face a much more battle-hardened side in Europe. Given their struggles over the past two years, de Jong’s reluctance to go overboard is understandable. As the matches come thick and fast, Xavi will no doubt have to begin rotating in order to keep his side fresh too.
Read on football-espana.net
