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 slammed the referee after his team lost the quarterfinal second-leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain to crash out of the continental tournament. The referee, Istvan Kovacs, brandished 12 cards during the match, including three red cards, which took the focus away from an unbelievable European comeback by PSG.
Xavi was particularly angry about the red card shown to defender Ronald Araujo in the 29th minute when Barcelona were leading the tie with a two-goal margin.
«We are annoyed. The red card marked the tie. We were well organised 11 vs. 11. It completely changed everything. For me, it's too much to send [Araujo] off there,» said Xavi.
«The referee was really bad. I told him, he was a disaster. He killed the tie. I don't like speaking about referees but it has to be said. I don't understand it. It's not good going down to 10 players and from that point on it's another game. For as much as we speak [about the match], the red card marks everything.»
After Araujo was sent off, a 10-men Barcelona team struggled to make clear-cut chances and were forced to retreat and defend. PSG kept coming up with wave after wave of attacks and ultimately opened the scoring in the 40th minute, courtesy of former culer, Ousmane Dembele.
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Would've liked to play 11v11
The problems were compounded for the five-time champions as Vitinsha scored from a long-range effort, nine minutes into the second half before Kylian Mbappe put the game to bed with a brace. Eventually, PSG won the tie 6-4 on aggregate, leaving Barcelona with another heartbreaking exit from the knockout stages.
Xavi also
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