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.
On Wednesday, Xavi Hernandez will celebrate his 100th match as head coach of Barcelona when his side face off against Porto in their second Champions League group stage fixture.
Xavi has overseen a seismic change since taking the reins in November 2021, and ahead of the match in Portugal, he spoke to MD to pick out 10 aspects of his time in charge so far.
He identified the Spanish Super Cup victory over Real Madrid in January as his best match, with it being the first trophy that he won as head coach. As for the most special victory, Xavi pinpointed the 4-2 victory over Espanyol last season, which secured the club’s first La Liga title in four years.
Xavi picked out Real Madrid and Bayern Munich as his most difficult opponents so far, with the 3-0 loss to the German champions last season as his toughest defeat.
In terms of most difficult players faced, Xavi picked out three players: Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, as well as Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
There’s no doubt that Xavi has had a very successful time at Barcelona so far, and he will hope that the match against Porto goes as well as his first 99 matches have as a whole.
Read on football-espana.net