Xavi Hernández

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Flavia

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Found the whole interview translated:

Xavi: It’s very difficult to retire at Barcelona, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it
by TomConn | Posted on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014


Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez recently stated that he’d love to retire at Barcelona but is unsure if he will as he will be 36-year-old when his current contract expires in 2016.


In a recent interview with Panenka magazine, Xavi insisted that while he feels fit, it’s difficult to play for a club like Barcelona at 36-years-old but for now, is relieved that his injury woes are behind him and he can focus on football.


“It’s very difficult to play here until you retire. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I would like to, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.


“I feel in good physical shape, even better than in the last two seasons.


“I’ve never liked missing even one game and that has taken its toll on me. I now realise that I have to save myself a bit. Here in Spain when a player reaches 30 years people insist he is past it. But sincerely, I have never felt better in my career than I do now. I feel more mature, more fit, and I am learning more than ever.”


Xavi went on to state that while he embodies the tiki-taka style that Barcelona has become famous for, he is open to adding alternative aspects and weapons to their style of play.


“I almost hate losing the ball more than missing a chance,” says the midfielder, who feels that he was “brought up to play in a certain way.


“At the end of the day, I’m happy playing for Barcelona because of the club’s philosophy. Perhaps I’d be happy playing for another club, I don’t know, but my priority has always been Barcelona.”


“We would be making a mistake if we thought we’d play better by playing another way.


“They ask me: ‘How can this be?’ It’s the level of expectation that exists here. Before no-one expected anything of us and now everyone demands we play even better.”


The Spanish international stressed that it is nearly impossible to replicate the results from the ‘Guardiola-era’ and that fans shouldn’t focus only on results.


“It’s very difficult to replicate the results from two years ago.


“Good results make you happy, people who don’t really understand football tend to only care about results.


“I’m a football man. I don’t care what anyone says, for any footballer, be they Catalan or Basque or Andalusian, the pinnacle of their career is playing for the national team, playing in a World Cup. Of course, if you win the Champions League with your club, that’s the highest you can go with your club. But on an international level, it’s playing in the European Championships or the World Cup.”


Xavi then went on the attack, stating Pep Guardiola was “a very important person” in his life but slammed former Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho for tearing apart relationships between Spanish Real Madrid and Barcelona players, which led to he and Iker Casillas arranging a historic sit-down meeting.


“Mourinho is a coach who only cares about the result and lives for that.


“He says he is ‘the Special One’ because he has won this that and the other in so many countries. But I don’t like the way his teams play. Who remembers his Inter team that won the Champions League? For me he hasn’t left a legacy, unlike Cruyff’s Holland team. Di Matteo won the Champions League, but in my view his team offered nothing.”


Xavi concluded by addressing the prospects that he might one day take over at the bench for Barcelona.


“I don’t know if I’m going to be a coach, because I’m still competing and I still haven’t stopped to think about it.


“I like football a lot and I’m going to stay in the game in some capacity. What else would I do? Get into economics? I like football. I find it much easier to understand than politics and social issues.”
 

BarçAjax8

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That's 11/12 and 12/13 you're talking about. No such problems this seasons. It's working, finally.

I was talking about the 2 or 3 matches this season Iniesta & Cesc have been deployed together in midfield. There's no balance having them both together as they want to occupy the same space and play closer to the opposition box. Iniesta was left confused with nowhere to run, Cesc supplied some assists and both left a huge void for Busquets to cover. The pace of those matches was chaotic and very un-Barça. It just shows how valuable Xavi really is.
 

Stric

New member
Xavi: "I almost hate a failed pass more than missing a clear-cut chance." [panenka]

:worthy: :xavi:

I was talking about the 2 or 3 matches this season Iniesta & Cesc have been deployed together in midfield. There's no balance having them both together as they want to occupy the same space and play closer to the opposition box. Iniesta was left confused with nowhere to run, Cesc supplied some assists and both left a huge void for Busquets to cover. The pace of those matches was chaotic and very un-Barça. It just shows how valuable Xavi really is.

As I said, a number of people, including myself, don't think that's the case anymore. It was the previous two seasons, but in the games this season that you're referring to (it was early this season IIRC), it was no longer a problem. IMHO. In fact, they worked surprisingly well together.

But I agree that Xavi is still invaluable. Especially when he's on form, he's the center of our game.
 

Ender

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And he hates very dry and very wet pitches even more. :worthy:
I gave that pitch a flower. Pitches love flowers.

El-cesped-de-la-Romareda-tiene_54282494797_54115221155_600_244.jpg
 

The Observer

New member
It kinda worked against Valencia, although we got overrun in the second half once they attacked and it worked against Granada who aren't particularly great.

I don't know about you but I really don't trust Fabregas to do the necessary midfield work in the biggest games when he will get closed down quickly from all sides. He has too many of these moments where he lacks awareness and gets his pocket picked and it's the main reason why Xavi has still not been phased out despite Fabregas' goal and assist numbers:



His best work comes around the box, not in midfield. Pep realized this very quickly and changed to 3-4-3 to fit him in. That didn't work defensively so Tito went on to play him in AM and Iniesta on the wing. Which kinda turned us into 4-5-1 with Messi the sole goal threat upfront and that wasn't too good either for the team. Now with Neymar it's either leaving Iniesta out for Fabregas, leaving Fabregas out or shifting Messi to RW and play Cesc as false 9. I doubt the former will happen in a meaningful game. The other 2 options did already happen against Milan and Real Madrid respectively and that's what Tata is going to do this season IMO.
 

kostasgtc

New member
It kinda worked against Valencia, although we got overrun in the second half once they attacked and it worked against Granada who aren't particularly great.

I don't know about you but I really don't trust Fabregas to do the necessary midfield work in the biggest games when he will get closed down quickly from all sides. He has too many of these moments where he lacks awareness and gets his pocket picked and it's the main reason why Xavi has still not been phased out despite Fabregas' goal and assist numbers:



His best work comes around the box, not in midfield. Pep realized this very quickly and changed to 3-4-3 to fit him in. That didn't work defensively so Tito went on to play him in AM and Iniesta on the wing. Which kinda turned us into 4-5-1 with Messi the sole goal threat upfront and that wasn't too good either for the team. Now with Neymar it's either leaving Iniesta out for Fabregas, leaving Fabregas out or shifting Messi to RW and play Cesc as false 9. I doubt the former will happen in a meaningful game. The other 2 options did already happen against Milan and Real Madrid respectively and that's what Tata is going to do this season IMO.
+1
 

ManusXavi

New member
FC Barcelona B as the team to retire in? 1. Physically a less demanding compared with the Barca first team and any other 1st teams in the World. 2. His experience would bring heaps to the training sessions for Barca B players.
 

10Rivaldo

Hoy, mañana y siempre traductor
FC Barcelona B as the team to retire in? 1. Physically a less demanding compared with the Barca first team and any other 1st teams in the World. 2. His experience would bring heaps to the training sessions for Barca B players.

Can't play for the B team once you have a certain number of appearances for the senior team.
 
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