Farewell Xavi Hernandez: Barcelona’s midfield maestro

Pep Guardiola had struggled; fought against managers, the press and conventional footballing wisdom to stay at the top as long as he had. As an undersized, slow central midfielder, he could feel he was a dying breed. In 2001, at the age of just 30, he gave in to that sense of the inevitable, choosing to leave Barcelona, rather than getting pushed out (in all likelihood) a few years later. At the time he explained that there had been a concerted shift, both at Barcelona and throughout the rest of Europe, to find more athletic and physically stronger midfielders to dominate the middle of the park, at the expense of technical players like him.

At the time he explained that there had been a concerted shift, both at Barcelona and throughout the rest of Europe, to find more athletic and physically stronger midfielders to dominate the middle of the park, at the expense of technical players like him.

However, before he left, he was given a glimmer of hope in the form of a young midfielder called Xavi Hernandez, who had shared the deep-lying playmaker position with Guardiola in the latter’s final two seasons at the club. While he was later quoted as saying that he knew “from the first moment I saw him he would become the brain behind Barcelona for many years to come”, even Guardiola must have had his doubts given the way football was going.

Circumstances at the time played into Xavi’s hands though as, with the club verging dangerously close to bankruptcy, they were more willing to indulge in Xavi’s development. This isn’t to say that he wouldn’t have broken through anyway, given his extraordinary talent, but it certainly helped the then youngster to find his feet. Even then though, despite the fact that he almost personified many of Barcelona’s publically stated ideals, there was, and almost grudging, acceptance of the young metronome. He was included in the midfield, but it wasn’t built around his skill set, instead of embracing his strength, it was his weaknesses that were the focus; carefully planned for and protected against.

It was a similar story for the national team, where a young Xavi struggled to properly establish himself as a starter until 2004, finding the way blocked by more physical midfielders the likes of Ruben Baraja. The problem with players like Xavi and Guardiola is that their weaknesses were (and still are in Xavi’s case) glaringly obvious; all you need to do is watch them play for a minute or two to realise that they are both small and slow. On the other hand it takes a while to process and fully understand their strengths and while this may consciously not be much of a problem for managers, subconsciously it seems, in a lot of cases, to influence them to focus more on the weaknesses (i.e. the more obvious qualities) than the strengths.

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While this seemed to continue under Frank Rijkaard; Xavi’s role changed slightly. He was moved further forward, with the likes of Edgar Davids, Mark Van Bommel and Rafael Marquez moved in behind him. This move up the pitch, away from the role he inherited from his future manager, was again motivated out of a need to hide Xavi’s weaknesses; it meant he was surrounded in the midfield by bigger, stronger, more mobile teammates, but it equally brought the best out of him. It allowed him to further refine the slight faints, turns and touches that propelled him into being the best in the world.

Watch any interview with Xavi and the topic moves to past successes and failures. Indeed, one fact becomes abundantly clear – he has a freakishly precise memory, and is able to revisit any of his 700+ professional games to describe specific moments, goals, even tackles with unerring accuracy. It makes so much sense when you watch him play, he is constantly observing, evaluating, filing away key pieces of information that are then immediately accessible later in the game (or in an interview 5 years later). It is hard to say where that comes from; hard work or some innate sixth sense? The answer, perhaps a little unsatisfyingly, probably lies somewhere in the middle, but it’s what Guardiola saw when he first watched him play, that complete understanding of any situation he was faced with, the speed with which his mind was able to find an answer to that situation, and the ease with which he was able to solve the problem. It all happens in an instant; Xavi has done it over and over again, millions of times, filing away every scenario.

However, while the mechanics are precise and mathematical, the results are gloriously artful; the way he uses the smallest of movements both on and off the ball to operate in space, create angles for himself and others, is really unparalleled in its simplicity, effectiveness, and beauty.

It wasn’t always seen that way though, as proven in 2006, when, after suffering the only major injury of his career, Xavi was left to watch from the bench – an unused substitute – as Barcelona won their first Champions League title since its rebrand in 1992. Again, despite his passing ability, this was a team constructed around others (namely Deco and Ronaldinho) and that meant he was nonessential and thus not included. Two more years past and Xavi continued to be viewed with the same mixture of reverence and skepticism; yet he was undeniably a truly great player, but could you use him the centerpiece of a great team?

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It seemed in the summer of 2008 that Xavi, like the man he replaced, felt that pressure; that sense that he was the exception to the rule, rather than the archetypal midfielder. After winning Euro 2008 and being named in the team of the tournament, he began to look for a potential future outside the club he had joined at the age of 11, with Bayern Munich being the primary suitor. However, earlier that year, after a 4-1 loss to Real Madrid to cap a disappointing 2007/8 season, it was announced Rijkaard would leave the club to be replaced by a certain Josep Guardiola; promoted from the B-team.

One skill that is nearly impossible to project or evaluate without seeing it in a game is whether a player can fully understand, alter and dictate the tempo of a game. It’s hard to judge when you list a player’s strengths and weaknesses, read a scouting report or even when you watch him in training, yet as soon as you see it in a game, it is so blatantly obvious. It is a skill Xavi had already demonstrated when he was given the opportunity under previous managers, but it was Guardiola who saw that ability, combined with Xavi’s flawless technique and footballing intellect, and convinced him to stay, knowing he needed to build a team around that skill, the embodiment of Barcelona’s ethos.

It helps when you have probably the greatest player in the history of the game to add to the mix, but Messi wasn’t all he would become when Guardiola was named manager. Either way though, it was Xavi who was the fulcrum of Guardiola’s possession based, high pressure system, accentuating the midfielders brilliance on the ball, as well as his underrated tenacity and willingness to work hard when the opposition had the ball. Whether it was building attacks or trying to get the ball back though, Xavi provided the all-important focal point, a point of reference if you will, around which players like Messi (given a freer role in Guardiola’s system) could operate.

The results were immediate and well documented. In four seasons under the guidance of the man who had laid the blueprint for him to break through at Barcelona, Xavi rose from one of a handful of great midfielders at the time (the likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Pirlo, Iniesta among many others) to probably the best central midfielder, and definitely the best play-making central midfielder, of all time. In that first season under Guardiola, Xavi racked up an otherworldly 30 assists (per transfermarkt) and never dipped below 15 for the four seasons his idol was at the helm). Of course, Xavi’s impact can’t simply be measured in numbers; the way he guided the team through everything from the middle of the park must also be taken into account. He was always calm and serene; confident in his own ability and those around him. As Thiago Alacantara put it: “Xavi gives a team oxygen”.

It is a simple phrase, but one that perfectly sums up the maestro who went on to conquer the world of football. He has won everything there is to win, in fact Barcelona’s two most recent trophies took him to a grand total of 25 for his career, more than any player in Spanish football history. Add to that 130 international caps, being the first player to make it to 150 Champions League games, and being the heartbeat of arguably the best club side and international team in football history and it’s hard to fully express everything Xavi has accomplished.

On a sentimental level therefore, it would seem to be the perfect ending for him to have some sort of dramatic impact in his last hurrah in the Champions League final. However, unlike most great players, Xavi’s dominance isn’t measured simply by individual moments of divine inspiration, but by the overwhelming wholeness of everything he’s ever accomplished. It’s a remarkable legacy to leave behind, one that will almost certainly never be matched. In an age where a player’s season, even his career, can be condensed into a few Youtube clips, Xavi’s simply can’t; you had to be there, watch him control and dictate game after game to begin to appreciate what he was as a player. In short though, he represents the fulfillment of a set of ideals more than even Messi ever could; a footballing deity that, as much as teams have tried to find the English or German Xavi, will never be touched.

In an age where a player’s career, can be condensed into a few Youtube clips, Xavi’s simply can’t; you had to be there, in order to appreciate what a player he was. In short, he represents the fulfillment of a set of ideals more than even Messi ever could; a footballing deity that, as much as teams have tried to find the English or German Xavi, will never be touched. If anything, he was “mes que un jugador” – more than simply a player.