Xavier Hernández Creus

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10 Mar 2024

Xavier Hernández Creus

Xavi Hernandez, born on January 25, 1980, is a retired Spanish professional footballer and current manager of La Liga club Barcelona. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Xavi was known for his exceptional passing, vision, ball retention, and positioning. Over the course of his illustrious career, he won a total of 32 trophies, making him the second-most decorated Spanish player in history, surpassed only by his former teammate Andrés Iniesta.

Xavi began his football journey at La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, at the age of 11. He made his first-team debut for Barcelona at 18 years old in August 1998 and went on to play 767 official matches for the club, holding the record until Lionel Messi surpassed it. Xavi was the first player in Barcelona's history to participate in 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined. During his time with Barcelona, he won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. In 2015, he joined Al Sadd, where he won four trophies before retiring in 2019.

On the international stage, Xavi represented Spain, winning the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999 and the Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. He earned 133 caps for the senior national team, playing a crucial role in Spain's victories at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and UEFA Euro 2012. Xavi was named Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2008 and received multiple individual awards, including four IFFHS World's Best Playmaker titles between 2008 and 2011.

After retiring from professional football, Xavi transitioned to coaching. In May 2019, he became the manager of Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd, winning seven titles in less than three years. In November 2021, Xavi returned to Barcelona as the manager and secured the 2022–23 Supercopa de España and the 2022–23 La Liga title in his first full season with the club.

1998–2001: Beginnings

Xavi Hernandez's journey through Barcelona's teams led to his first-team appearance in a Copa Catalunya match against Lleida on May 5, 1998. He scored his inaugural goal on August 18, 1998, during the 1998 Supercopa de España against Mallorca. His La Liga debut occurred on October 3, 1998, in a 3–1 victory against Valencia. Initially, Xavi played for both the reserve and senior teams intermittently, but he made a significant impact by scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Real Valladolid when Barcelona was in the tenth position in the league.
With sustained impressive performances, Xavi became a key member of Louis van Gaal's title-winning team, concluding his debut season with 26 matches played. For his contributions, he was named the 1999 La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year. Xavi's role expanded as Barcelona's principal playmaker following an injury to Pep Guardiola during the 1999–2000 season. This marked a pivotal moment in his career as he took on more responsibilities and solidified his position within the team.

Barcelona extended Xavi Hernandez's contract until June 30, 2016. During this period, he scored a goal against Real Madrid in a 3–2 victory for Barcelona. Xavi was honored with inclusion in the FIFA World XI alongside his teammates Iniesta, Messi, and Dani Alves. Barcelona had practically secured their La Liga title early in 2013, eventually matching Real Madrid's record of 100 points from the previous season.

Xavi achieved a significant milestone on January 16, 2014, making his 700th appearance for the first team against Getafe in the Copa del Rey. However, Barcelona concluded the season without a major trophy, losing to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Final and conceding the league title to Atlético Madrid in the last game.

In June 2014, it was initially announced that Xavi would be leaving the club, but after discussions with the newly appointed manager and former teammate Luis Enrique, he decided to stay at Camp Nou for one more season. He was appointed as the club captain following Carles Puyol's retirement. Xavi reached another milestone on April 25, 2015, making his 500th La Liga appearance, becoming the eighth player in history to achieve this feat. A farewell event was held on June 4, 2015, at Barcelona for Xavi, where players, managers, friends, and family paid tribute to him.

Xavi played his final match for Barcelona on June 6, 2015, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute for Andrés Iniesta during the 2015 Champions League Final. Barcelona won the match against Juventus at Berlin's Olympiastadion, securing their fifth European Cup. As the club captain, Xavi lifted the trophy, making Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup, and European Cup twice. Xavi's 767 appearances were a club record until Lionel Messi surpassed it in March 2021.

On November 6, 2021, Xavi Hernandez returned to Barcelona as the new manager, succeeding Ronald Koeman, with a contract until June 2024. Upon his arrival, Xavi implemented stricter rules for the players, reintroducing fines, enforcing early arrival for training, and monitoring players' off-pitch activities.

In his managerial debut, Barcelona secured a 1-0 victory against local rival Espanyol at the Camp Nou in La Liga, marking Xavi's first win as manager in the Catalan Derby. However, on December 4, 2021, Barcelona experienced their first defeat under Xavi's management, losing 1-0 to Real Betis at home in La Liga. Xavi took charge of Barcelona in the Champions League with two group stage matches remaining. After a 0-0 draw with Benfica and a 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich, Barcelona finished third in the group stage, entering the Europa League knockout round play-offs.

In his first Clásico as manager on January 12, 2022, Barcelona was defeated by Real Madrid 2-3 at the end of extra time in the Supercopa de España semi-final. Barcelona also suffered an early exit from the Copa del Rey, losing 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao in the round of 16. During the winter transfer window, Barcelona strengthened their attack with the signings of Ferran Torres, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Adama Traoré on loan.