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 been vocal about the fact he feels the pressure at the club is different to anywhere else. Yet former teammate Emmanuel Petit, who spent a year alongside Xavi at Camp Nou, has told Football España that the main difference is political rather than the pressure on the pitch.
Petit had a 16-year career, all of which was spent at the top level, between Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea. Football-wise, Petit believed that big clubs all experience similar levels of pressure, or at least the players experience is similarly.
“The pressure is the same in all of the top clubs. The same in England and Spain. The only thing that is different in Barcelona is that it is a very political club, with a huge identity in Spain.”
A major part of that is that the club ensures top stars are aware of the club’s cultural identity, which also brings a political point to it.
“The Catalans are not Castilians. As soon as you arrive they say you need to speak Catalan not Castilian. You need to understand the tradition in Catalonia not Spain. You can see the huge difference, with millions of fans, and still for me one of the best clubs in the world. But there is this difference, it is very political.”
“It’s like you’re playing for a country,” he smiled.
The World Cup-winner should know. Petit was part of an iconic French team, the first to win the World Cup in 1998 on home soil, which is credited with uniting France. In Catalonia, Barcelona are regularly described by presidents as a symbol of Catalan identity around the world, and a reference point for the nation on a global scale.
While the football media in Spain tend to cater to fans of one side or another, particularly with Real Madrid and Barcelona in relation
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