Hernández XAVI

FROM THE BEST PLAYMAKER IN THE WORLD Pep Guardiola is the great coach of FC Barcelona and Xavi is his heir. From the beginning in La Masia until now, he has always been compared to his “maestro” Guardiola, who taught him to play in the beginning of his career as a team-mate and who did the same as a coach now. Their position is the same, as well as their talent. But Xavi has already won many titles more. He joined FC Barcelona at the age of 11 and he made is debut in the 1998/99 season, when he won his first Spanish title. In 1999 he also won the Under 20 World Cup with Spain, making his full national team debut in 2000, when La Roja won the silver medal at the Olympic Games.  In the beginning of his career he showed all of his talent, but also many injury problems who couldn’t make him the best playmaker in the world. In the 2005/06 season he played only first four matches of the victorious Champions League triumph due to knee ligament damage. He took part anyway to next World Cup, but he had to wait for other two years to raise a cup with La Roja. The chance arrived at the 2008 Euro Cup, when he becomes the brain of the national team who won the title in Wien against Germany. In 2010 history repeats, and he plays another amazing tournament in South Africa, when Spain become World Champion for the first time ever. He was elected the best player of the 2008 tournament, but he never won other personal awards.  Because Xavi prefers to help his team. And that’s why Guardiola has become the only debut-coach to live an amazing six titles season in 2009, when FC Barcelona won Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA World Cup.During the 2009–10 season, journalists increasingly noted Xavi's contribution to the Barcelona side. For example: "Quite simply the best midfielder in modern football, and one of the greatest 'centre' midfielders of all time. It could even be argued that Xavi and Lothar Matthaus 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 with Michel Platini, he creates countless goals with genius through balls while virtually never relinquishing possession.

Did you know?

- He made his full national team debut in the same game as club-mate Carles Puyol on 15 November 2000 against the Netherlands (lost 1-2 in Seville).
- He claimed his fifth Liga title − and fourth in six years − with Barcelona in 2009/10, ending the season with the division's largest number of assists.
- He extended his contract until summer 2016 in June 2010, when he will be 36 years old
- Overtook Migueli at the top of the club's all-time appearance list when he featured for the 550th time in a 1-1 draw with Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey last 16 on 5 January 2011.

HONOURS

World Cup (2010)

European Championship (2008)

U-20 World Cup (1999)

Olympic Silver medal (2000)

Fifa Club World Cup (2009)

Champions League (2006, 2009, 2011)

European Super Cup (2009)

Spanish League (1999, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011)

Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)

Copa del Rey (2009)

Euro Championship Player of the Tournament (2008)

Champions League Final Man of the Match (2009)

Spanish League Player of the Year (2005)

AMOR XAVI