Xavi? Zidane?

[rolminmaminov]

You think who better?

 

[AnfieldEd]

You can't compare them at all and thus really you cannot say who is better.

Xavi is Mr consistency itself and makes difficult things look extremely easy.

But Zidane has done some things on the pitch with a football at his feet that I have not seen many players ever do with a football.

Quite simply in his prime Zidane is the best player since Maradona packed it in. But Zidane and Xavi never played in the same role and cannot be compared.

I don't think you can compare Xavi with anyone, he is a one off. Barca can never ever replace Xavi.

So for me this question is a moot point.

 

[La Furia]

I was going to make a headbutt joke, but I agree with Edward too much to bother.

For the record I voted Xavi. As much as he is unable to individually dominant the way Zidane was able to, without him either this current Barcelona team or Spain would be able to do what they do, and Zidane's France, Juve and Real Madrid teams were never explicitly built around him that way (even if France has been hopeless without him)

 

[antimadritista]

You can't compare them at all and thus really you cannot say who is better.

Xavi is Mr consistency itself and makes difficult things look extremely easy.

But Zidane has done some things on the pitch with a football at his feet that I have not seen many players ever do with a football.

Quite simply in his prime Zidane is the best player since Maradona packed it in. But Zidane and Xavi never played in the same role and cannot be compared.

I don't think you can compare Xavi with anyone, he is a one off. Barca can never ever replace Xavi.

So for me this question is a moot point.

Agree

 

[nebeer]

Xavi is a deep lying playmaker, whereas Zidane is more of an attacking midfielder. As they played in different positions, it's hard to compare them. Both are legends. Still, I think it has to be Xavi. He edges it for me. The way he controls the midfield and eventually the game is unprecedented. Xavi is the guy who is the heart of tiki-taka style of play, and thus he has given the next thing after Total Football. So he gets my vote.

 

[dalitis8]

Andres Iniesta.

 

[Barcafan 2304]

Gary Caldwell

 

[Ode to Django]

Aquilani

 

[silky_soccer]

Lee Cattermole

 

[-zlatan-]

xavi is a great passer but i have to say zidane for all the skill etc sorry XAVI

 

[Armando929]

Xavi is the best pure passer in the game today and has been for a while now and I dare say he's the smartest player in football today.

Zidane had more overall skill though. He was just superb.

 

[Metaphysical]

zidane was a magical player, absolutely amazing to watch, but only when he felt like it. he was as capricious as they come, which is why despite his long and illustrious career with two of the top clubs in europe he only has 3 league championships to his name. he could lead his team in the odd game but couldn't do it over a league season because he didn't have the mental focus.

xavi, however, is magnificent day-in, day out. he has been for damn near a decade. and let's not forget that about a year after aragones handed him the reigns to the spanish team they elevated their game and won the euros and the world cup back to back and lost, what, 3 games in 3 years? some madness like that.

for sure, their resumes are fairly similar (world cup, euros, CL, handful of leagues, cup, supercups, their peaks coinciding with dominance on the domestic and international scene, etc.) except xavi's influence is more holistic because he defines how his teams play on both sides of the ball (the possession game is as much a defensive tactic as an offensive one) whereas zidane was only used in attacking moves and was uninterested at tracking back and working defensively.

xavi is better than zidane.

trust.

(a better comparison is zidane and iniesta since not only are their resumes similar but stylistically they are the same type of player, and they even have similar epic moment achievements)

 

[vittorio]

very good post meta. i think xavi can't be compared to anyone really, at least noone in modern football era. if he doesnt get the golden ball this year i'll be EXTREMELY dissapointed.

 

[Raed]

zidane was a magical player, absolutely amazing to watch, but only when he felt like it. he was as capricious as they come, which is why despite his long and illustrious career with two of the top clubs in europe he only has 3 league championships to his name. he could lead his team in the odd game but couldn't do it over a league season because he didn't have the mental focus.

xavi, however, is magnificent day-in, day out. he has been for damn near a decade. and let's not forget that about a year after aragones handed him the reigns to the spanish team they elevated their game and won the euros and the world cup back to back and lost, what, 3 games in 3 years? some madness like that.

for sure, their resumes are fairly similar (world cup, euros, CL, handful of leagues, cup, supercups, their peaks coinciding with dominance on the domestic and international scene, etc.) except xavi's influence is more holistic because he defines how his teams play on both sides of the ball (the possession game is as much a defensive tactic as an offensive one) whereas zidane was only used in attacking moves and was uninterested at tracking back and working defensively.

xavi is better than zidane.

trust.

(a better comparison is zidane and iniesta since not only are their resumes similar but stylistically they are the same type of player, and they even have similar epic moment achievements)

A little too harsh. Zidane played for a Juventus that competed with no less than 5 other major power houses in the 90s. No league was ever like the Serie A and to win any league during that era was magnificent, not just riding a good wave. Plus Zidane did it in two countries, unlike Xavi who didn't try his skills elsewhere. I mean yes he elevated Spain but again, Spain played like that for a very long time, they just moved the ball more centrally than the traditional wingers. Zidane however did it in Madrid, in France and Juventus. Each team was unique and he did play multiple positions.

I don't think he is as moody as you make him out to be although he does have anger problems.

I believe it is Zidane for me because of his natural talent and ability to carry absolutely gobshite teams and make them look competitive whereas Xavi to me is a launching pad to those who were destined to be great.

 

[JCCR_FCB]

It's hard to tell a direct answer... both are different players. Zidane was really the best, but Xavi still have time to make better (I hope).