A close look at Barcelona's Xavi Hernandez

Xavi

When we read the name Xavi Hernandez, the following three words strike our minds - Pass. Control. Vision.

Today, I decided to take a little time to write about this legendary figure who rewrote the history books. Xavi Hernandez or simply Xavi is the most capped outfield player of the Spanish National football team. In the history of Spanish football, Xavi has won the most number of trophies. The statistics of this diminutive maestro are just staggering. The count of his trophies won is 25! Astonishing, isn’t it?

Xavi joined La Masia football academy in the city of Barcelona, at the age of 11. He came to the prominence slowly and steadily through perseverance, patience and hard work. He was elected to join senior team at La Masia also known as FC Barcelona in 1998!!

In the beginning, he played for both the reserves and senior team. He became the focal point of Barcelona at the turn of the 21st century when Pep Guardiola left Barcelona to join Brescia. Xavi is known to be the best playmaker of his generation and one of the best passers of the game. He is a complete player.

He is always humble, polite, composed and calm on and off the field. He is just a joy to watch. He rarely gets caught in controversies. He is an idol for any young football player who dreams of becoming a great midfielder. Xavi is probably one of the top 3 mid-fielders of all time not to win a Ballon D’or . Nevertheless, he has been nominated 5 times for Ballon D’or.

Now, allow me to elaborate the matchless qualities of his as follows:

Passing

Legendary Bill Shankly once said “Football is a simple game based on giving and taking of passes, controlling the ball and of making yourself available to receive the ball. It is terribly simple.” And this quote personifies Xavi Hernandez. He can pass it long and short. He can pass it diagonal, forward and backward. His pass completion rate is always in the 90s. Many midfielders can be envious of this stat!

His passing can breathe life into his teammates. Even a selfish player will be forced to pass the ball because of the influence and class of this man.

Constant movement and search for the space

“Think quickly, look for spaces. That’s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking. All day, all day. Here? No. There? No. People who haven’t played don’t always realise how hard that is. Space, space, space. It’s like being on the PlayStation. I think, the defender’s here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That’s what I do.” – Xavi

And certainly, if you are a playmaker or architect of your team then you should be constantly moving. Xavi symbolizes that excellently. He has a good engine and his physique is extremely well built for the type of player he is. His constant running off the ball makes it very difficult for opposition players to keep an eye on him for 90 minutes. Since 2008, Xavi has averaged 50 games per season which is unimaginable.

Vision

Who can find a defence splitting pass better than Xavi Hernandez? Such is the class of this virtuoso midfielder that makes him irreplaceable at FC Barcelona and Spanish national team.

His pin point through ball at Euro 2012 for Jordi Alba is one of the many he has delivered at the Elite level. In total he has around 200+ assists to his name. His partnership with fellow team mates Iniesta and Messi forced the football pundits to call this attacking triumvirate as one the greatest in the history of world football. He plays like he is playing on the play-station and can constantly provide accurate through balls.

Set Piece and crossing ability

He can demonstrate a high level of expertise in this department as well with the best example being the ball he delivered against Germany from the corner kick at 2010 world cup in Africa which Puyol powered home with a towering header. One of the best examples of his crossing abilities is his pin point cross against Manchester United in 2008-09 UCL final which Leo Messi headed in, giving Rio Ferdinand and Van Der Sar no chance. He is even efficient at free kicks such that he can score around the wall and over the wall. We can say that he is the combination of both Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard of English football.

Controlling the rhythm of the game

Ability of Xavi Hernandez to control the flow of the game is second to none. Just look at his tireless movement on and off the ball, and you will get an idea of how clever he is when it comes to control the game. He can slow down the pace of the game if required and can inject urgency with brilliant and fast exchanges with his team mates. He can spread the game with accurate cross field and through balls. He is the one who machinates the tempo of the game with precise passing, vision and movement. The strengths of this legendary Catalan has earned him a nickname as “Puppet master” .

These 5 qualities epitomize how influential a playmaker he has been over the years for Barcelona and Spain. With his contract expiring in the near future, it is extremely difficult to watch FC Barcelona without this midfield maestro.