5 Reasons why Andrea Pirlo is greater than Xavi

As Barcelona and Spain’s guiding light to their greatest triumphs during the most tumultuous periods in their histories, Xavi has been underpinned by many people alike as the leading midfielder of this past generation – the one that is being phased out by younger talents as we speak.Multiple Ballon D’Or nominations, finishing in the top 3 twice, winning all there is to win at both club and international level in the last 5-6 years have brought to Xavi a name and fame that perhaps no other central midfielder of this generation has gotten. In fact, there are a few people who assert that he always gets less credit than he deserves.While that notion might be true, we have ample reason to believe why Pirlo’s career is a greater one and his legacy should be even more than that of Xavi’s. We list out the most important ones in the slides to come.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda

#5 Leadership

Pirlo has always been willing to take up a leader’s role and has been recognized as a vocal, motivational leader who leads by example both in the dressing room and on the pitch with his game. As one of the few players to play for Inter, Milan and Juventus, he has often been a unifying link in the Italian national team’s dressing room and has refused to get into the mind games and comments that are often passed on both sides of a derby rivalry.

This is in contrast to Xavi, who has been known to make remarks about Real Madrid’s players and the club, despite the fact that a sizeable chunk of the Spanish national team is from the capital-based club. The El Clasico rivalry has been known to get to him even though Barca and Real Madrid players are known to be generally friendly outside of the pitch.

Even on the pitch, after Puyol reached the end of his career, the onus naturally came on Xavi to lead the team on the pitch, but his impact as a leader fell significantly short of symbolic. He is a quiet, reserved personality and this works against his ability to lead men. Pirlo, on the other hand, has welcomed the attention and responsibilities that come as a senior player.

#4 Setpieces

With regards to scoring free kicks, Pirlo has no equal in today’s game. He has been the most consistent scorer of freekicks for the past 3 seasons with Juventus and Italy. A free kick from any range within 20-30 yards of the goal to Juventus spells imminent danger to the goalmouth of the opposition goalkeeper. Pirlo scored 6 free kicks for club and country in the 2013-14 season itself, something that matches up to legendary exponent Juninho’s own figures.

Xavi is no slouch himself, but Pirlo is an all-time great in this department.

Pirlo has a phenomenal delivery from dead-ball situations in indirect free kicks and corners as well. Many of Pirlo’s assists have come via these very situations, when he swings the ball onto the head or feet of an onrushing player.

While Xavi, again, is a great crosser of the ball, he does not face up to Pirlo’s standards in delivering balls from setpiece situations.

#3 Passing Range

Andrea Pirlo is one of the greatest passers in the history of the game: an accolade he shares along with Xavi himself. The difference lies in the approach that both of them bring to their teams: Pirlo is a bigger risk-taker with his passing and is always aiming to perturb the opposition while Xavi’s emphasis is constantly switching between keeping possession and troubling the opposition.

Although both of them average in the higher-80s and the 90s in pass completion percentages over the last few years, Pirlo’s ability to consistently play the long 40-yard passes is something Xavi has not displayed. Xavi prefers to keep his passing short, sharp and fast. Pirlo attempts many more long and lofted passes over the course of a game and he does so successfully more often than not: it is rare to see a failed Pirlo long pass.

Not only does Pirlo play long balls with more accuracy, he also reads the game well so as to be able to play the pass at the opportune time. Nor is he loath to use his left foot which is as accurate as his right, although he does rely much more on his right foot. Both his execution and his thought process behind his long passing are at a higher plane than Xavi’s because he is a more direct and forward-thinking player.

#2 Adaptability

After being transferred to Internazionale, Pirlo failed to cement a starting berth and was sent out on loan, first to Reggina and then back to his boyhood club where Carlo Mazzone changed his position from attacking medio to the position of a deep-lying playmaker (a regista as the Italians call it).

Pirlo earned a transfer to Milan in 2001 and was immediately slotted in by Carlo Ancelotti at his new position in front of the defence as the deepest midfielder in a 4-3-2-1 formation. He then re-adapted to playing in a 4-1-2-1-2 setup in latter seasons as Milan brought in Hernan Crespo on loan in the 2004-05 season.

After Ancelotti’s departure to Chelsea in 2009, Leonardo played a number of variations of 4-3-3, 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 through the course of the 2009-10 season. Under Massimiliano Allegri in the next season, Milan played mostly with a flat 4-4-2 formation before the arrival of Mark van Bommel gave Pirlo additional cover in defensive midfield in a 4-3-3 formation.

Since moving to The Old Lady in 2011, Pirlo has mostly played in front of a back 3. He has adapted to all variations of tactics and formations seamlessly and produced at virtually the same level for his team, showing his footballing brain and intelligence.

The discomfiture Xavi faced earlier in his career before Rijkaard took over, during the time while Ronaldinho was at the club and now during the latter half of his career demonstrates the fact that he cannot play at his best out of his comfort zone. This shows up in stark contrast to Pirlo’s excellence at both club and international level despite ever-changing plans and formations around him.

#1 Relevance

Pirlo during the 2006 World Cup

Let’s set our clocks back to July 2006. A time when Italy were World Cup winners, France were the heartbroken losers after a penalty shootout and Spain were among the most talented underachievers. Andrea Pirlo was enjoying the best phases of his professional career, Zidane had played his last professional game while Xavi Hernandez was one among the same bunch of underachievers from Spain, even though he was a part of Barcelona’s Champions League-winning squad.

Let’s rewind 3 years further to June 2003. The time when AC Milan had beaten Juventus in the Champions League final on penalties. Xavi was still finding his feet in the Barcelona setup and was yet to be recognized as a genuine star, whereas Pirlo was the creative fulcrum operating from deep – fundamentally the same player.

Today, Pirlo is a 3-time defending Serie A champion with Juventus (having in fact won the 2010-11 title too in his last season with Milan), while also being the reigning Serie A Player of the Season 3 times in a row. He still plays the same, effervescent, yet seemingly effortless style of football consistently generating the same results.

Whereas Xavi is a lesser version of his best self. A self that lasted for 7 great seasons. Relegated to the bench in favour of younger Ivan Rakitic, he has become a dispensable part of the Barcelona starting lineup, although he is still a fundamentally important member of the Barcelona squad. The tiki-taka style of football in which he flourished has now been abandoned in favour of a more forward-oriented one.

Pirlo’s relevance all through his career is the biggest reason to place him ahead of Xavi in the roll call of all-time great midfielders