Xavi

Xavi
Xavi Hernández - 002.jpg
Personal information
Full name Xavier Hernández Creus
Date of birth January 25, 1980 (age 28)
Place of birth    Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
Height 1.70m (5ft 7in)
Playing position Centre midfielder / Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current club FC Barcelona
Number 6
Youth clubs
1991–1997 FC Barcelona Youth
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1997–1999
1998–		 FC Barcelona B
FC Barcelona		 061 0(2)
291 (29)   
National team2
2000– Spain 068 0(8)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of May 14, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 20 August 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)
Olympic medal record
Competitor for Flag of Spain.svg Spain
Men's Football
Silver 2000 Sydney Team Competition
This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Hernández and the second is Creus.

Xavier Hernández Creus (born January 25, 1980, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain), commonly known as Xavi is a Spanish footballer who plays in central or defensive midfielder for Barcelona. He has been capped more than 60 times for the Spanish national team. He played for his country at 2000 Summer Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008. He was named Best Player by UEFA at Euro 2008.

Contents

Career

Club career

Xavi is a product of Barcelona's youth system and has spent all of his footballing life at the Camp Nou since the age of 11. He quickly made his way through the youth and reserve teams and was a key member of Jordi Gonzalvo's FC Barcelona B team that won promotion to the Segunda División.

His progression through the teams earned him a first team debut on August 18, 1998 in the Super Cup final, in which he scored against RCD Mallorca. He quickly went on to become a key member of Louis van Gaal's title winning team.

Xavi playing for Spain.

Although he is most used as a central midfielder, he is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder. Xavi is considered a successor of Josep Guardiola. Since the title-winning season of 2004/2005, he has been a vice-captain of the team.

Xavi is under contract to Barça until 2010, which carries a buyout clause of £100 million.

Xavi ranks joint third with Amor in the all-time appearances list for Barcelona with 421 appearances in his tenth season at the club.

International career

Xavi won his first Spanish cap on November 15, 2000 against the Netherlands and has since been a regular fixture in the Spanish squad. His trip to the World Cup was in doubt due to a knee ligament injury, but he recovered in time and was named as part of Luis Aragonés' squad. His importance to the team was summed up by Aragonés when he said, "People say it is a gamble to take Xavi with us, but I say it would be a crazy gamble to leave him at home."[1] Xavi was named Man of the Match in Spain's match against Ukraine and played in all of Spain's other three matches, before they were knocked out by the experienced French team in the second round.

During the Euro 2008, Xavi played a vital role in Spain's successful campaign. Partnering with fellow Barça teammate Andrés Iniesta in the midfield he was the fulcrum between the defense and the forward line regularly supplying the strikers with vital passes and crucial assists. He scored the opening goal in the 50th minute in the semi-final against Russia. In the final he slid a well-timed pass to Fernando Torres who slotted in the winning goal against Germany. He was selected as the Player of the Tournament by UEFA officials.[2]

Xavi was called up again for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers by new coach Vicente Del Bosque and continued his good form from the Euro. In their 3-0 defeat of Estonia, two of the goals were scored from his free kicks.

All-time club statistics

As of November 1, 2008

Club Season League Cup[3] Europe[4] FIFA Club World Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FC Barcelona B 1997-1998 33 2 33 2
1998-1999 28 0 28 0
Total 61 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 61 2
FC Barcelona 1998-99 17 1 3 1 6 0 26 2
1999-00 24 0 4 1 10 1 38 2
2000-01 20 2 7 0 9 0 36 2
2001-02 35 4 1 0 16 0 52 4
2002-03 29 2 1 0 14 1 44 3
2003-04 36 4 6 0 7 1 49 5
2004-05 36 3 1 0 8 0 45 3
2005-06 16 0 2 0 4 0 22 0
2006-07 35 3 9 3 8 0 2 0 54 6
2007-08 35 7 7 1 12 1 54 9
2008-09 8 3 0 0 3 2 10 5
Total 291 29 41 6 97 6 2 0 431 41
Career totals 346 31 41 6 97 6 2 0 482 43

Honours and awards

FC Barcelona

Spain

Individual

References

  1. ↑ http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060618/1/7ucb.html
  2. ↑ euro2008.uefa.com - Xavi emerges as EURO's top man
  3. ↑ Includes Supercopa de España
  4. ↑ Includes UEFA Supercup
  5. ↑ http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premio_Don_Bal%C3%B3n

External links

FC Barcelona – current squad

1 V. Valdés • 2 Cáceres • 3 Piqué • 4 Márquez • 5 Puyol • 6 Xavi • 7 Gudjohnsen • 8 A. Iniesta • 9 Eto'o • 10 Messi • 11 Bojan • 13 Pinto • 14 Henry • 15 Keita • 16 Sylvinho • 18 Milito • 20 Alves • 21 Hleb • 22 Abidal • 24 Touré Yaya • 25 Jorquera • 27 Pedro • 28 Sergio B. • 29 V. Sánchez • Coach: Guardiola
Spain squad – 2000 Summer Olympics Silver Medalists
1 Aranzubia • 2 Lacruz • 3 Juanfran • 4 Marchena • 5 Unai • 6 Albelda • 7 Angulo • 8 Xavi • 9 José Mari • 10 Gabri • 11 Ferrón • 12 Puyol • 13 Luque • 14 Amaya • 15 Ismael • 16 Velamazán • 17 Tamudo • 18 Felip • Coach: Sáez
 Flag of Spain
Spain squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Casillas • 2 Curro Torres • 3 Juanfran • 4 Helguera • 5 Puyol • 6 Hierro • 7 Raúl • 8 Baraja • 9 Morientes • 10 D. Tristán • 11 de Pedro • 12 A. Luque • 13 Ricardo • 14 Albelda • 15 Romero • 16 Mendieta • 17 Valerón • 18 Sergio • 19 Xavi • 20 Nadal • 21 Luis Enrique • 22 Joaquín • 23 Contreras • Coach: Camacho
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Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2004
1 Cañizares • 2 Capdevila • 3 C. Marchena • 4 Albelda • 5 Puyol • 6 Helguera • 7 Raúl • 8 Baraja • 9 F. Torres • 10 Morientes • 11 A. Luque • 12 Gabri • 13 Aranzubia • 14 Vicente • 15 R. Bravo • 16 Xabi Alonso • 17 Etxeberria • 18 César Martín • 19 Joaquín • 20 Xavi • 21 Valerón • 22 Juanito • 23 Casillas • Coach: Iñaki Sáez
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Spain squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Casillas • 2 Salgado • 3 Pernía • 4 Marchena • 5 Puyol • 6 Albelda • 7 Raúl • 8 Xavi • 9 F. Torres • 10 Reyes • 11 Luis García • 12 Antonio López • 13 A. Iniesta • 14 Xabi Alonso • 15 Sergio Ramos • 16 Senna • 17 Joaquín • 18 C. Fàbregas • 19 Cañizares • 20 Juanito • 21 David Villa • 22 Pablo Ibáñez • 23 Reina • Coach: Aragonés
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Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2008 Winners (2nd Title)
1 Casillas • 2 R. Albiol • 3 F. Navarro • 4 C. Marchena • 5 Puyol • 6 A. Iniesta • 7 David Villa • 8 Xavi • 9 F. Torres • 10 C. Fàbregas • 11 Capdevila • 12 S. Cazorla • 13 Palop • 14 Xabi Alonso • 15 Sergio Ramos • 16 Sergio García • 17 Güiza • 18 Arbeloa • 19 Senna • 20 Juanito • 21 D. Silva • 22 De la Red • 23 Reina • Coach: Aragonés
 Flag of Spain