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 is coaching for his job – or at least to see out his job until the summer – according to some reports, which claim that he could be removed after a bad first leg or overall elimination at the hands of Napoli in the Champions League. He is set to revert to a shape that has brought him the most success for their trip to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The Blaugrana have few forwards available, with only Lamine Yamal, Vitor Roque and Robert Lewandowski at Xavi’s disposal, and all three started in their win over Celta Vigo at the weekend. However Diario AS believe Xavi will shift to four midfielders on Wednesday night. Their plan is to use central defender Andreas Christensen in the pivot role, which has been tried in recent weeks, with Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan flanking him in the middle. Pedri will be the fourth midfielder, playing nominally from the left.
Lamine Yamal is due to start his seventh game in a row with Robert Lewandowski through the middle. At the back, 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi will drop to the bench, and Ronald Araujo will be partnered by Inigo Martinez. That leaves Joao Cancelo at left-back again and Jules Kounde will try to turn his form around from right-back again.
On the bench, Raphinha, Fermin Lopez and Roque are likely to be Xavi’s first choices to change things up. Generally the first legs of European ties can be cagey, and no doubt Barcelona will not want to give up too much early on against Napoli. However the balance between prudence and ambition will be a tricky one for a side that has conceded 22 times in 12 games in 2024, and have just two clean sheets in that run.
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