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May 22, 2015

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Xavi calls time on Barca career

IF you ask Barcelona and Spain fans about their most cherished footballing memories over the past decade the chances are they will involve an exquisite intervention from midfield maestro Xavi.

Widely regarded as one of the best playmakers the game has produced, Xavi has been the tireless dynamo at the heart of a glittering run for his club and country, effortlessly controlling play in the central areas and able to pierce even the most stubborn defences in a heartbeat.

The 35-year-old from Terrassa announced yesterday he was leaving Barcelona after more than two decades with the Catalan club he joined aged 11, during which he has won 23 titles, including three Champions League crowns and eight La Liga trophies.

“It’s a definitive decision, it’s not an easy one, it’s the right moment to go,” an emotional Xavi, Barcelona’s club captain and appearance record holder after 764 matches, told reporters.

“I still feel useful here but a change of scene is necessary, my head tells me so but not my heart,” he said, adding that his aim was to return to Barcelona after completing his coaching qualifications. “I am a product of the Barcelona family. I think my contribution has been very good, I have done what they taught me.”

With Spain, he helped end a 44-year trophy drought at Euro 2008, and went on to lead La Roja to their first World Cup success in 2010 and another continental crown two years later. The general consensus after news emerged he had agreed a three-year deal with Qatari club Al Sadd was that Spain is unlikely to see a player of his quality anytime soon.

Age, of course, was finally starting to catch up with Xavi, while the prospect of a lucrative stint in the Middle East will also have played its part in his decision. He was close to leaving Barcelona after it ended last season without winning a major trophy and quit internationals following Spain’s flop at the 2014 World Cup.

New Barcelona coach Luis Enrique persuaded him to stay on and he has made a vital contribution, mostly from the bench, to its charge towards repeating 2009’s treble of Champions League and Spanish league and Cup titles.

The La Liga triumph Barcelona secured on Sunday was Xavi’s eighth and he was given a standing ovation by fans. He can win another two trophies before he departs, with Barcelona through to the Champions League final to play Juventus on June 6 and set to host Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final a week earlier.




 

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