Xavi joinedLa Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, at age 11 and made his first-team debut againstMallorca in August 1998, age 18. For Barcelona, he played 767 official matches, a former club record—now held byLionel Messi—and scored 85 goals.[12] With the initial management guidance byPep Guardiola and using thetiki-taka football philosophy, Xavi was part of a widely lauded midfield combination trio withAndrés Iniesta andSergio Busquets; from 2008 to 2015 the trio together were instrumental in Barcelona's exceptional on-field successes in 7 seasons, winning five La Liga titles, threeCopa del Rey titles and three Champions League titles, including two continentaltrebles (all three titles simultaneously) in2008–09 and2014–15.[13][14][15][16] Xavi was the first player in the club's history to play 150 European andFIFA Club World Cup matches combined.[17] In 2015, he left Barcelona forAl Sadd, where he won four trophies before retiring in 2019.
After retirement, Xavi transitioned to management. In May 2019, he became manager ofQatar Stars League clubAl Sadd, where he won seven trophies in less than three years. In November 2021, Xavi was appointed as manager at his former club Barcelona. He won the2023 Supercopa de España title and the2022–23 La Liga title in his first full season as the club's manager.
"I've been lucky enough to be brought up on the Barcelona ethos. Which has taught me the value of being part of a team. 'Today for you, tomorrow for me.' Those qualities are essential for life in general."
—Xavi on learning the team ethos of Barcelona while at the club's youth system,La Masia.[22]
Xavi's progression through the teams earned him a first-team appearance in aCopa Catalunya match againstLleida on 5 May 1998[28] and he scored his first goal on 18 August 1998 in the1998 Supercopa de España againstMallorca. His debut inLa Liga came againstValencia on 3 October 1998 in a 3–1 victory for Barcelona. Initially featuring intermittently both for the reserve and senior teams, Xavi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory overReal Valladolid when Barcelona were in tenth position in the league. Sustained impressive performances meant that he became a key member ofLouis van Gaal's title-winning team, finishing his debut season with 26 matches played and being named 1999 La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year. Xavi became Barcelona's principal playmaker after an injury toPep Guardiola in the1999–2000 season.[29][30]
In these years, Barcelona was on the verge of bankruptcy and struggling to keep its place in La Liga's elite. Playing midfield, but in a more defensive role, Xavi made 20 assists and scored 7 goals in those two seasons. On 16 March 2002, he scored his first goal inEl Clásico againstReal Madrid.[31]
"Xavi is a player who has the Barcelona DNA: someone who has the taste for good football, someone who is humble and someone who has loyalty to this club. From the first moment I saw him play, I knew he would become the brain behind Barcelona for many years to come."
After being named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008, Xavi spoke toBayern Munich about a transfer, but newly appointed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola convinced him that he was too important to the club to be allowed to leave.[34] He was a main part of Barcelona's treble and scored the fourth goal in the 4–1 win in the2009 Copa del Rey Final againstAthletic Bilbao, with a free kick. InLa Liga, one of his most significant games was the 6–2Clásico victory over Real Madrid on 2 May; he assisted four goals – once toCarles Puyol, once toThierry Henry and twice toLionel Messi.[35]
Xavi helped Barcelona win the2009 Champions League Final 2–0 againstManchester United, assisting the second goal by crossing to Messi for his header.[36] Prior to the match, Manchester United coachSir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on thecentral midfield combination of Xavi andAndrés Iniesta, stating, "I don't think Xavi and Iniesta have ever given the ball away in their lives. They get you on that carousel and they can leave you dizzy."[37] Xavi was voted "UEFA Champions League best midfielder" for his contribution during Barcelona's victorious2008–09 Champions League campaign.[38] Xavi was the highest assisting player in La Liga with 20,[39] and in the Champions League, with 7; he earned 29 assists overall that season. Xavi was under contract to Barça until 2014 after extending his contract during the 2008–09 season.[40] The new contract made him one of the club's biggest earners, with a salary of €7.5 million a year.[40]
Xavi in action for Barcelona in 2008
During the2009–10 season, journalists increasingly noted Xavi's contribution to the Barcelona team. For example:
Quite simply the best midfielder of modern football. It could even be argued that Xavi andMatthäus are the two best in this position in history. World class for several years now, it is the past three seasons in particular where the 30-year-old has been untouchable. Xavi's passing is up there withMichel Platini, he creates countless goals with genius through balls while virtually never relinquishing possession.[41]
In the 2009–10 season, Xavi again topped the assists table and provided both the assists in Barcelona's 2–0 victory against Real Madrid at theSantiago Bernabéu. Barcelona won theLiga title with a record 99 points, and Xavi was acclaimed Barcelona's second-best player in a season-long vote.[42] On 3 June 2010,Madrid-based newspaperMarca awarded him third place in the annualTrofeo Alfredo di Stéfano award for the best player in La Liga, behind Messi andCristiano Ronaldo.[43]
"Our model was imposed by [Johan] Cruyff; it's an Ajax model. It's all about rondos [piggy in the middle]. Rondo, rondo, rondo"
On 9 June 2010, Xavi signed a new four-year contract with the club, which could be automatically renewed up to 30 June 2016 based on number of games played.[45] On 29 November, he scored his third goal against arch-rivals Real Madrid in a 5–0 home win. On 18 December, he scored another goal againstEspanyol in a 5–1 win. In theChampions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal with an assist fromDavid Villa in a home win against Arsenal, that saw Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals.[46]
Xavi was one of the three finalists for the2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or, and finished third in the vote behind his Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta.[47][48] He narrowly defeated Messi to win the Player of the Year award fromWorld Soccer magazine.[49]
Xavi (middle) with Barcelona teammatesCarles Puyol (left) andLionel Messi (right) in December 2011
On 2 January 2011, in a league match againstLevante, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held byMigueli. Xavi later became the player with the most appearances for Barcelona of all time.[50] On 28 May, Xavi was imperious in the2011 UEFA Champions League Final atWembley Stadium inLondon as Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the showpiece for the second time in three seasons, winning 3–1.[32]
Xavi began the2011–12 season in fine goalscoring form and seemed to grow in his influence of the team despite the long-anticipated return ofCesc Fàbregas and the promotion ofThiago to create added competition for places inBarça's attacking midfield positions. On 18 December, in the2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final inYokohama, Barcelona won 4–0 against Brazilian sideSantos as Xavi scored a goal and made an assist to Lionel Messi.[51] After the ball was slightly behind him, Xavi brought the ball down with a cocked leg, effectively using his ankle to control it, before slipping a pass through to Messi, who scored the first goal.[51]
Xavi scored the winning goal in theGroup H game againstA.C. Milan, a vital match for Barcelona's progression in theChampions League knockout stage. In total, Xavi had the best goalscoring return of his career in 2011–12 season with ten Liga goals, two in theCopa del Rey – which Barcelona won – and one in the Club World Cup final win.[32]
On 18 December 2012, Barcelona renewed Xavi's contract, extending it until 30 June 2016.[52]He scored a goal against Real Madrid in a 3–2 win for Barcelona. Xavi was named in theFIFA World XI, along with teammates Iniesta, Messi andDani Alves.[53] Barcelona had virtually secured theirLa Liga title by the start of 2013, eventually equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season.[54][55]
In June 2014, it was announced that Xavi would be leaving the club.[59][60][61] On 22 July, however, after talks with newly appointed manager and former teammateLuis Enrique, Xavi decided to stay atCamp Nou for one more season.[62] He was also appointed as club captain afterCarles Puyol's retirement. On 25 April 2015, Xavi made his 500th La Liga appearance, becoming the eighth player in history to do so.[63] On 4 June, a farewell event was held at Barcelona for Xavi with players, managers, friends and family paying tribute to him.[64][65]
On 6 June 2015, Xavi came on as a 78th-minute substitute for Andrés Iniesta to make his 767th and final appearance for Barcelona during the2015 Champions League Final, as the club won its fifthEuropean Cup, beatingJuventus atBerlin'sOlympiastadion. Xavi, as club captain, lifted the trophy.[12][66] This made Barcelona the first club in history to winthe treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice.[67] Xavi, Iniesta, Messi,Gerard Piqué,Pedro,Sergio Busquets andDani Alves were part of both treble-winning teams.[67] Xavi's 767 appearances was a club record until surpassed by Lionel Messi in March 2021.[68]
Xavi withAl Sadd, playing againstPersepolis in the AFC Champions League, April 2018.
On 21 May 2015, Xavi announced that he would join Qatari clubAl Sadd at the end of the2014–15 season on a three-year contract. According to his agent, the deal would involve him becoming an ambassador for the2022 FIFA World Cup inQatar, and also start his coaching qualifications.[69] He made his debut for Al Sadd in a 4–0 win overMesaimeer on 13 September 2015, assisting in the team's first goal.[70] In the following match, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw withUmm Salal.[71] Al Sadd ended the league campaign in third position putting them in a place for the next season'sAFC Champions League, the elite club competition of theAsian Football Confederation. Xavi scored three goals during the season. In the Champions League, Al Sadd were knocked out from the qualifying rounds by Emirati sideAl Jazira on penalties; Xavi missed his spot kick.[72]
Xavi won his first trophy with Al Sadd following a 2–1 victory overEl Jaish in theQatar Cup final on 29 April 2017.[73] On 10 November 2017, Xavi said that he would retire when his contract with Al Sadd expired at the end of the2017–18 season, and would later pursue a coaching career.[74] However, he postponed these plans and signed a two-year contract extension on 24 May 2018.[75] In October 2018, Al Sadd reached the2018 AFC Champions League semi-finals of the tournament with Xavi as captain but were eliminated 2–1 byPersepolis.[76]
On 2 May 2019, Xavi announced that he would be retiring from professional football at the end of the season.[77] On 20 May 2019, Xavi played the final match of his career, a 2–0 defeat toPersepolis inTehran, Iran which was Al Sadd's finalAFC Champions League group match; before the match, he stated that he would like to remain in Qatar after his retirement, and that he would look to begin a coaching career, commenting: "The idea is to start as a coach in Qatar, to test myself and get some experience."[78]
Xavi was named Euro 2008'splayer of the tournament after Spain defeatedGermany 1–0 in the final.[81] Xavi was dominant in midfield, where his passing and reading of the game was pivotal to Spain's success, as he led his nation to their first silverware since the1964 European Championship.[81]Andy Roxburgh, head ofUEFA's technical committee, said: "We have chosen Xavi because he epitomizes the Spanish style of play. He was influential in the whole possession, passing and penetrating kind of game that Spain played."[18]
Xavi scored the first goal in the semi-final againstRussia, which Spain won 3–0.[82] In thefinal, he made the pass from whichFernando Torres scored the winning goal.[83]
Xavi was named in Spain's squad for the2010 World Cup in South Africa, with Spain eventually winning their firstWorld Cup.[84] He provided the most accurate passes, 599 with a passing success rate of 91%, and he crossed the ball inside the 18-yard box more than any other player in the tournament. In the final he made 57 accurate forward half passes.[85] Xavi also covered 80.20 kilometres throughout the competitions, averaging approximately 11.5 kilometres per game,[86] more than any other player.[87] In thefinal, he covered a distance of almost 15 kilometres.[88]
Xavi is the beating heart of this Spanish team, the man dictating the tiki-taka pulse of pass after pass. He may be just 5ft 7in with a curiously hunched gait but no player more influences the way his whole team plays. He doesn't score, doesn't really tackle: he just passes and passes with a precision and wit unmatched by any of his peers.
During the round of 16 match againstPortugal, Xavi provided a backheel pass in the 63rd minute to David Villa. Although Villa had his shot with his left foot blocked by goalkeeperEduardo, he then put in the rebound with his right foot for the winning goal.[90] In the semi-final against Germany, Xavi crossed from a corner to the edge of the six-yard box, where Carles Puyol scored with a header into the top-right corner.[91] Spain dominated possession throughout the competition, averaging 59% possession during their three group matches, and 44 passes per shot throughout the entire World Cup, in large part thanks to midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, andXabi Alonso, who were singled out in the media for their role in Spain's title–run; Spain also completed more passes (3,547) than any World Cup team since1966.[81][92]
Xavi played for Spain at Euro 2012 which Spain won by defeating Italy 4–0 in thefinal. Xavi attempted 136 passes (127 completed, 94% success rate) during Spain's 4–0 victory in the group stage match against theRepublic of Ireland, more than any other player in aEuropean Championship match. The previous record of 117 had been set byRonald Koeman in aEuro 1992 match between theNetherlands andDenmark. Xavi and Andrés Iniesta made 229 passes in the match, more than the combined Irish team managed. "Pum, pum, pum, pum" was how Xavi described the rhythmic sound of the ball moving between himself and his midfield partner.[93]
With Xavi providing two assists in the final, forJordi Alba and Fernando Torres, he became the first player to register assists in two European Championship finals.[19] Spain's UEFA Euro 2012 victory made Xavi the most decorated player in Spanish football history, a status that he previously shared with Carles Puyol, who missed the tournament.[19]
On 5 August 2014, following the 2014 World Cup where Spain were eliminated at the group stage, Xavi announced his retirement from international football, having made 133 appearances in a 14-year period.[94][95] Spain's World Cup-winning managerVicente del Bosque paid tribute, stating that Xavi was "a key part of the team's style of play" and "he was more important to us than even the manager", also adding, "We will miss him both on and off the pitch. He is a player who we hold in great esteem both personally and as a player. He is and always will be a person and a player who is greatly valued by thefederation, the coaching staff and by myself."[96]
On 28 May 2019 it was announced that Xavi would take over as manager ofAl Sadd on a two-year contract.[97][98] Xavi helped the club reach the semi-finals of theAFC Champions League, where they were eliminated byAl-Hilal FC 6–5 on aggregate.[99] In the league, the club finished third. In the 2019–20 season, Xavi led his team to win one domestic trophy, theQatar Cup. In the2020 AFC Champions League, Al Sadd reached the round of 16 but were eliminated 1–0 byPersepolis.[100][76] During his 97 games in charge of Al Sadd, spanning two and a half years, he led the club to seven trophies.[101]
On 3 November 2021, Al Sadd drew 3–3 againstAl-Duhail in his final game in-charge. Two days later Al Sadd announced Xavi's move to Barcelona after his release clause was paid.[102]
On 6 November 2021, Xavi returned to his former club Barcelona as the new manager replacingRonald Koeman, on a contract until June 2024.[103] Following his arrival, Xavi implemented stricter rules for the players which included re-introduction of fines, early arrival for training and tracking of players' off pitch activities.[104][105][106]
In his first game in charge, Barcelona defeated local rivalEspanyol by a 1–0 scoreline at the Camp Nou in La Liga to win his firstCatalan Derby as manager.[107] On 4 December, Xavi suffered his first defeat as Barcelona manager after losing 1–0 toReal Betis at home in La Liga.[108] In Xavi's first Champions League campaign, he took charge with twogroup stage matches remaining. After drawing 0–0 withBenfica at theCamp Nou on 23 November and losing 3–0 toBayern Munich on 8 December at theAllianz Arena, Barcelona finished third in thegroup stage which put them in theEuropa Leagueknockout round play-offs.[109][110]
On 12 January 2022, in his firstClásico in charge, Barcelona were beaten by Real Madrid 2–3 at the end of extra-time in theSupercopa de España semi-final.[111] Barcelona suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey after being beaten byAthletic Bilbao 3–2 at the end of extra-time in theround of 16.[112] In the winter transfer window, Barcelona strengthened their attack with the signings ofFerran Torres andPierre-Emerick Aubameyang andAdama Traoré on loan. After a difficult first few months for Xavi, Barcelona quickly turned around their form with the new signings playing a big role in the process. The team entered a 14-match unbeaten streak starting with a 0–1 victory overAlavés in La Liga, during this run they scored four goals in 6 out of 11 matches and also qualified for thequarter-finals of the Europa League. On 20 March, Xavi won his firstClásico as manager beating Real Madrid 0–4 in La Liga at theSantiago Bernabéu ending their five-matchClásico losing streak and extending their unbeaten run to 12 matches.[113][114] On 14 April, Xavi and his men who were on the verge of a monumental comeback, were knocked out of theUEL quarter-finals byEintracht Frankfurt, bringing their fifteen-game unbeaten run to an end.[115] In La Liga, he led Barcelona to a second-placed finish from ninth position when he took charge.[116][117]
In the2022–23 UEFA Champions League, Barcelona finished third in their group behind Bayern Munich andInter Milan to drop to theEuropa League for the second consecutive season.[118] On 15 January 2023, Barcelona won their first title under Xavi, following a 3–1 victory against Real Madrid in theSupercopa de España final.[119] On 14 May 2023, Barcelona clinched the2022–23 La Liga title after defeatingrivalsEspanyol 4–2, with Xavi leading the club to its first league title since the2018–19 season.[120] On 22 September 2023, it was announced that he extended his contract at the club until 2025.[121]
A string of disappointing results across December and January, including 4–1 and 4–2 cup losses to Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao respectively, led to increased pressure and scrutiny on Xavi.[122] Following a 3–5 home loss toVillarreal on 27 January, leaving the club 10 points behind league leaders Real Madrid, he announced that he would leave the club after the conclusion of the season.[123]
On 16 April 2024, he was sent off after a display of dissent towards refereeIstván Kovács during theChampions League quarter-final clash between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. During the post-match press conference, Xavi expressed that the red card given to Barcelona defenderRonald Araújo by the Romanian referee was a pivotal moment that significantly influenced the outcome of the game.[124]
On 24 April, after several days of speculation about whether or not he would continue as the club's manager following successive major defeats against PSG in theChampions League and inEl Clásico againstReal Madrid, Xavi reversed his decision to leave the club and announced his intention to fulfill his contract with Barcelona until the end of the following season after talks with club's hierarchy.[125] However, on 24 May, he was relieved of his duties by club presidentJoan Laporta;[126][127] Xavi was replaced byHansi Flick.
Xavi would often evade players with a 360 degree turn (la pelopina), before finding a teammate with a pinpoint pass.
Xavi is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time[6][7][128][129] and he had the ability to find and exploit spaces as adeep-lying playmaker. He was equally influential in building up the play and creating chances for his teammates. As he said, "That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking."[130][131] He would receive the ball and then pass it onwards, with his coachPep Guardiola putting it: "I get the ball, I give the ball, I get the ball, I give the ball."[132] A composed and technically skilled player with a slender physique and a low centre of gravity, these characteristics compensated for his lack of pace or physicality.[89][92][133] Xavi's signature move when in possession involved him performing a 360 degree turn, afeint known asla pelopina, that allowed him tomove away from the opposing player, retain possession, and gave him space and time to think about his next pass.[134] In his youth, he had played as acentre-back.[92] While primarily acentral midfielder with Barcelona,[135] he often played as anadvanced midfielder with Spain.[136]
"I think I haven't changed at all to what I am now. I've been a passer since a young age. I liked passing with the rest of the players and my friends when we played football on the streets, in the main square, and at school. I think I was very similar to what people see in the stadium."
Although he was not known for his tackling ability, or for being prolific in front of goal,[89] Xavi's outstanding vision, accurate passing,[137] superb reading of the game, and positioning allowed him to create chances for teammates and maintain high possession of the ball.[138][139] These qualities were displayed by his performance during Spain's 2010 World Cup victory, where he maintained a 91% passing success rate throughout the entire tournament, in addition to providing twoassists, while Spain dominated possession throughout the competition.[140][141][142][143]
Xavi's ability to control games earned him the sobriquet,The Puppet Master.[137][144]Jorge Valdano opined, "If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula. With a ball at his feet, no one else has ever communicated so intelligently with every player on the pitch."[101] Barcelona presidentSandro Rosell believed that Xavi, together withLionel Messi,Andrés Iniesta andSergio Busquets, perfected the club'stiki-taka style of play, a style introduced to the club by former coachJohan Cruyff.[145] Despite primarily being a creative player, however, he was also capable of scoring goals himself in addition to assisting them.[37] He was named in theBallon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI. Many footballers and pundits regard him as one of the greatest passers[146] and one of the greatestplaymakers of all time.[132][147] Xavi was also praised for his leadership.[148][149]
When describing his man-management philosophy, Xavi explained, "The matter of managing a dressing room is almost more important than the tactical matter. At the end of the day we become half coaches, half psychologists. Being an elite footballer made more empathetic to the players who don't play as much and I also know what the growth of a footballer feels like, and who needs a more loving approach. This gives me a sense of control over the dressing room." Xavi cites about his coaching influences in an interview revealing as follows: "Having a lot of coaches in my career made me take a little bit from all of them: from Van Gaal, from Rijkaard, from Guardiola, from Luis Enrique, from Iñaki Sáez, from Luis Aragonés. I got my masters in man-management from Aragonés and my masters in tactics from Guardiola."[150]
In November 2014, Xavi appeared inFIFA's "11 againstEbola" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, includingCristiano Ronaldo,Neymar,Gareth Bale andDidier Drogba.[153] Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with theConfederation of African Football (CAF) and health experts, with the players holding up 11 messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.[153][154]
Qatar Stars League Coach of the Month: August/September 2019, December/January 2020, September/October 2020, January 2021, February/March 2021, September 2021[181]
^Lowe, Sid (11 February 2011)."I'm a romantic, says Xavi, heartbeat of Barcelona and Spain".The Guardian.Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved12 June 2014.Xavi Hernández: "Our model was imposed by [Johan] Cruyff; it's an Ajax model. It's all about rondos [piggy in the middle]. Rondo, rondo, rondo."
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