He covers the most ground. His game doesn't rely on pace, instant acceleration, direction changing at full speed and taking on defenders 1 on 1 like Iniesta or Messi though. Iniesta and Messi draw challenges like no other players. Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe, Coentrao: they all assault Messi and Iniesta. Not Xavi. Xavi plays in a deeper role on the pitch. It's his positioning, his passing and his footballing brain that he relies on. Not so much his physical attributes. Therefore I can see him playing until he's 37. Not 60 games a season but at least as a squad player. To show Thiago how it's done from time to time.![]()
(...) and Carrick was faced with Xavi and Iniesta coming past him, and Messi in behind him. That’s 3rd, 2nd and 1st in last year’s World Footballer of the Year award forming a triangle around him – he desperately needed help (...)
- ZonalMarking
Barca hold a key advantage here again, however, where Busquets has carved out a niche in shadowing deep-lying attackers. He knows what they eat for breakfast.
- Paul Morrissey
I was about to reply to Xaviniesta about how Xavi doesn't run but barcelonista covered it perfectly
yh agreed
defenders will try to hunt messi down. but no defender dares to approach xavi because you will be the one losing out no matter what. usually defenders try to just man mark him even when he has the ball.
2:22 to 2:31. u can see them just marking him to pressure him instead of actually doing what the defenders at 0:25 tries to do and attack at him
Mes que un club!!
you know that he has been playing with the same tendonitis problem for almost 2 years now. but he always never complains. one time in an interview i heard when he said that it hurts a lot him. how long can he take it? we all look xavi and wonder how easy he makes football, but it's not like that, even he has some problems.
barcelonista,
i have to agree with that mostly. he is more like a diesel vehicle, not a sports car. he runs a lot, covers a lot of ground but no major sprints, no acceleration. thats why he CAN keep up but the other issue is his injuries and he is not getting any younger.
anyway, i try to enhoy every his game and try not to thing like 6-7 years ahead of, especially with xavi![]()
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