Xavi’s midfield dominance was supreme and classy, it looks very simple to naked eye but it wasn’t as simple to do as many players. It was a style which was molded into the Barca youngsters in La Masia and Xavi epitomized it. Vision, Passing, Press-Resistant, Skills, Combine all that and you’d get Xavi. What a joy it was to watch him play.The way he dictated the game was truly remarkable and that 180 degree turn to ward the pressing defenders off. Schooling and toying with those 6ft opposition players. You don’t get to see that everyday. Oh how did Xavi, Messi and Iniesta toy with the Real Madrid players during the Clasico. Funny how time flies by so fast.
Xavi’s masterclass included outclassing several other great and respectable midfields like that of Manchester United in 2011 UCL final, Italy’s midfield in 2012 European Cup final, Arsenal and AC Milan were humiliated regularly, Real Madrid were so frustrated to play Barcelona that they resorted to playing totally defensive and did not bother to come out and fight for the ball. Germany got a footballing lesson in the 2010 WC semifinal.
Xavi was extremely unique as a footballer in 2 key aspects.
First - was his ability to find space. This is what separates Xavi from everyone else. He was the master at finding space, moving into passing lanes, moving off the ball to get himself into an open position. A lot of footballers move to get a better position on the pitch. Xavi would do this better than almost anyone. But Xavi took it a step further, he would move into spaces TO MOVE OTHER PLAYERS. This ability, to control the opposition, to move players on the other team like chess pieces is what puts him among the best CM of all time.
Xavi said once “That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking. All day, all day. [Xavi starts gesturing as if he is looking around, swinging his head]. Here? No. There? No. People who haven't played don't always realise how hard that is. Space, space, space. It's like being on the PlayStation. I think shit, the defender's here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That's what I do.”
Second is that Xavi could pass right there with the best passers of all time. He holds the record for Most completed passes in a season. He holds the record for most completed passes in a game, without a miss - 96 for 96, with a record 63 in the attacking half of the pitch. He was making passes to Messi, Iniesta, Zlatan, Ronaldinho, and always in the midfield - Xavi, finding space, and then finding a teammate.
Xavi took a simple idea, pass the ball and attack space. And perfected it to a point that it dominated every other type of football, euro’s back to back, world cup, and Barcelona’s untouchable form winning trophy after trophy.
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