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 right-back Joao Cancelo has stated that he believes his side improved during their 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano at the weekend, but had plenty to work on. He was also clear that with such a young team, there was a learning process going on parallel to their ambitions to win matches.
“The last few games we didn’t play the way we wanted but against Rayo we had a better feeling, although it wasn’t a 10/10 game. We have to improve and important players like Frenkie have returned. The good thing about football is that three days later you have the opportunity to play a good game to gain confidence.”
He was asked if he felt that the side lacked a winning mentality – manager Xavi Hernandez had criticised his side’s mentality for starting too slowly against Rayo.
“I don’t think we lack a winning mentality, because I have always seen Barça win. We have a very young team and it doesn’t have the experience of the older ones. But that is learned year by year.”
Meanwhile before the international break, Xavi had admitted that he thought his side was being affected by criticism from the press. Cancelo did not believe it was affecting him.
“The criticism from the press does not affect me personally because I am already a veteran, I’m more of an adult, but we have very young players. We have to know how to deal with pressure because only then will we achieve great things.”
Cancelo was also reluctant to compare managers, having worked under Pep Guardiola before Xavi, who is regarded as a totem pole for Barcelona.
“All coaches have different ways of interpreting the game. I am very grateful to Pep because he made me a better player and I am very grateful to Xavi because things are going well for me and I am enjoying it a lot. At Barca I
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