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Flavia
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Found the whole interview translated:
Xavi: It’s very difficult to retire at Barcelona, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it
by TomConn | Posted on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez recently stated that he’d love to retire at Barcelona but is unsure if he will as he will be 36-year-old when his current contract expires in 2016.
In a recent interview with Panenka magazine, Xavi insisted that while he feels fit, it’s difficult to play for a club like Barcelona at 36-years-old but for now, is relieved that his injury woes are behind him and he can focus on football.
“It’s very difficult to play here until you retire. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I would like to, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I feel in good physical shape, even better than in the last two seasons.
“I’ve never liked missing even one game and that has taken its toll on me. I now realise that I have to save myself a bit. Here in Spain when a player reaches 30 years people insist he is past it. But sincerely, I have never felt better in my career than I do now. I feel more mature, more fit, and I am learning more than ever.”
Xavi went on to state that while he embodies the tiki-taka style that Barcelona has become famous for, he is open to adding alternative aspects and weapons to their style of play.
“I almost hate losing the ball more than missing a chance,” says the midfielder, who feels that he was “brought up to play in a certain way.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy playing for Barcelona because of the club’s philosophy. Perhaps I’d be happy playing for another club, I don’t know, but my priority has always been Barcelona.”
“We would be making a mistake if we thought we’d play better by playing another way.
“They ask me: ‘How can this be?’ It’s the level of expectation that exists here. Before no-one expected anything of us and now everyone demands we play even better.”
The Spanish international stressed that it is nearly impossible to replicate the results from the ‘Guardiola-era’ and that fans shouldn’t focus only on results.
“It’s very difficult to replicate the results from two years ago.
“Good results make you happy, people who don’t really understand football tend to only care about results.
“I’m a football man. I don’t care what anyone says, for any footballer, be they Catalan or Basque or Andalusian, the pinnacle of their career is playing for the national team, playing in a World Cup. Of course, if you win the Champions League with your club, that’s the highest you can go with your club. But on an international level, it’s playing in the European Championships or the World Cup.”
Xavi then went on the attack, stating Pep Guardiola was “a very important person” in his life but slammed former Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho for tearing apart relationships between Spanish Real Madrid and Barcelona players, which led to he and Iker Casillas arranging a historic sit-down meeting.
“Mourinho is a coach who only cares about the result and lives for that.
“He says he is ‘the Special One’ because he has won this that and the other in so many countries. But I don’t like the way his teams play. Who remembers his Inter team that won the Champions League? For me he hasn’t left a legacy, unlike Cruyff’s Holland team. Di Matteo won the Champions League, but in my view his team offered nothing.”
Xavi concluded by addressing the prospects that he might one day take over at the bench for Barcelona.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be a coach, because I’m still competing and I still haven’t stopped to think about it.
“I like football a lot and I’m going to stay in the game in some capacity. What else would I do? Get into economics? I like football. I find it much easier to understand than politics and social issues.”
Xavi: It’s very difficult to retire at Barcelona, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it
by TomConn | Posted on Tuesday, January 7th, 2014
Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez recently stated that he’d love to retire at Barcelona but is unsure if he will as he will be 36-year-old when his current contract expires in 2016.
In a recent interview with Panenka magazine, Xavi insisted that while he feels fit, it’s difficult to play for a club like Barcelona at 36-years-old but for now, is relieved that his injury woes are behind him and he can focus on football.
“It’s very difficult to play here until you retire. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it. I would like to, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.
“I feel in good physical shape, even better than in the last two seasons.
“I’ve never liked missing even one game and that has taken its toll on me. I now realise that I have to save myself a bit. Here in Spain when a player reaches 30 years people insist he is past it. But sincerely, I have never felt better in my career than I do now. I feel more mature, more fit, and I am learning more than ever.”
Xavi went on to state that while he embodies the tiki-taka style that Barcelona has become famous for, he is open to adding alternative aspects and weapons to their style of play.
“I almost hate losing the ball more than missing a chance,” says the midfielder, who feels that he was “brought up to play in a certain way.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy playing for Barcelona because of the club’s philosophy. Perhaps I’d be happy playing for another club, I don’t know, but my priority has always been Barcelona.”
“We would be making a mistake if we thought we’d play better by playing another way.
“They ask me: ‘How can this be?’ It’s the level of expectation that exists here. Before no-one expected anything of us and now everyone demands we play even better.”
The Spanish international stressed that it is nearly impossible to replicate the results from the ‘Guardiola-era’ and that fans shouldn’t focus only on results.
“It’s very difficult to replicate the results from two years ago.
“Good results make you happy, people who don’t really understand football tend to only care about results.
“I’m a football man. I don’t care what anyone says, for any footballer, be they Catalan or Basque or Andalusian, the pinnacle of their career is playing for the national team, playing in a World Cup. Of course, if you win the Champions League with your club, that’s the highest you can go with your club. But on an international level, it’s playing in the European Championships or the World Cup.”
Xavi then went on the attack, stating Pep Guardiola was “a very important person” in his life but slammed former Real Madrid manager, Jose Mourinho for tearing apart relationships between Spanish Real Madrid and Barcelona players, which led to he and Iker Casillas arranging a historic sit-down meeting.
“Mourinho is a coach who only cares about the result and lives for that.
“He says he is ‘the Special One’ because he has won this that and the other in so many countries. But I don’t like the way his teams play. Who remembers his Inter team that won the Champions League? For me he hasn’t left a legacy, unlike Cruyff’s Holland team. Di Matteo won the Champions League, but in my view his team offered nothing.”
Xavi concluded by addressing the prospects that he might one day take over at the bench for Barcelona.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be a coach, because I’m still competing and I still haven’t stopped to think about it.
“I like football a lot and I’m going to stay in the game in some capacity. What else would I do? Get into economics? I like football. I find it much easier to understand than politics and social issues.”
as well?
