In the summer of 1998, the Spanish Supercup was the setting for Xavi’s first appearance in the senior side, marking his debut with a goal on an unforgettable day for the young star. The following season, Xavi was called into service following an injury to team captain Guardiola and he never looked back.
As the years have gone by, Xavi’s importance to the Barcelona cause has continued to grow, having remained an automatic choice in the side despite a host of coaching changes at the Camp Nou. His outstanding performances at the heart of the Azulgrana<\/I> midfield saw him make his debut for the senior national team in 2000, although the gifted young Spaniard had already amassed a wealth of international experience. Xavi was a member of the golden generation that triumphed at the FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999, and a year later helped his side to a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
Prodigious talent<\/B>
Xavi is a magnificent reader of the game and an excellent ball-winner. Besides which, the visionary playmaker is a creative genius and is outstanding going forward, being able to dictate the pace of the game almost at will. Xavi has an uncanny knack for picking the right moment to pierce the opposition defence with a perfectly-weighted through ball.
Hard work and skill earned him a place in the Spanish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea\/Japan™, although he played just 124 minutes in the Far East. Having featured in almost every qualifying game in the lead-up to UEFA Euro 2004, then coach Inaki Saez decided against using him at the tournament on Portuguese soil. Despite these disappointments, Xavi has become a key figure for Spain since the appointment of veteran coach Luis Aragones. The stocky midfielder broke his national team scoring duck in a friendly against China, and is becoming a more familiar face at set-pieces thanks to his formidable long-range shooting ability.
Unfortunately for the Barcelona star, a serious knee injury has seen his involvement at Germany 2006 cast into doubt. Nevertheless, his determination and hard-work in recovery have kept his FIFA World Cup dream alive, with the Spanish fans desperate to see him back in action and pulling the strings in midfield.
<\/P>","3eSafQfDlVU=":"Xavier Hernandez Creus, Xavi","wiEJO9LZWrRHlbmMOzeQQA==":"0","E6Ta9Gt50FvYLMXY14Do1Q==":"\u0e2a\u0e40\u0e1b\u0e19","Wvt3IOvbkrNPAq\/fqFAomQ==":"1980-1-25","okyXk9a86q9PAq\/fqFAomQ==":"2021-11-8","mKJYf9pafcieDa23x7trdQ==":"","QInsNiYOupM=":"169cm","VPWblGGLzHcQVZQyzTyoAw==":"999","nOwFSrYGHQk=":"1","b8Sc3f4L67I=":"514","wiEJO9LZWrSHgMJWh2LVc6Uj0qng\/C\/1":"1","BSlPjznKlh4=":"\u0e0a\u0e32\u0e1a\u0e35 \u0e40\u0e2d\u0e23\u0e4c\u0e19\u0e32\u0e19\u0e40\u0e14\u0e0b","ghPJF9eEf+s=":"68kg","jy5kYP4awPDFGAXe3dhUZA==":"\u0e2d\u0e31\u0e25 \u0e0b\u0e32\u0e14\u0e14\u0e4c","58MVtBhMwU9PAq\/fqFAomQ==":"4","e_index":8};
var playerStats={"k0ms2L8PEGQ=":{"74":{"n":"UEFA CL","c":"8D7321"},"85":{"n":"SPA D1","c":"993300"},"54":{"n":"SPA CUP","c":"C1A502"}},"d63N5fiyvYs=":[{"vs":"4664197,74,514,517,1,4,1,0","t":"2024,04,17,03,00","s":"0,0,0,0,1,0"},{"vs":"4499431,85,664,514,0,3,0,0","t":"2024,03,18,04,00","s":"0,0,0,1,1,0"},{"vs":"4499381,85,514,2226,3,3,1,0","t":"2024,02,12,04,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4636239,54,476,514,2,2,0,0","t":"2024,01,25,04,30","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4499332,85,305,514,1,2,0,0","t":"2024,01,05,04,30","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4581428,74,464,514,0,1,0,0","t":"2023,10,05,03,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4328440,85,556,514,1,0,0,0","t":"2023,02,27,01,30","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4328320,85,514,476,4,0,1,0","t":"2022,10,24,03,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4383101,74,370,514,1,0,0,0","t":"2022,10,05,03,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4328256,85,49,514,0,3,0,0","t":"2022,09,04,03,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"},{"vs":"4174026,85,514,351,0,1,1,0","t":"2022,04,25,03,00","s":"0,0,0,1,0,0"}],"pzkMTIkmqeg=":{"514":"\u0e1a\u0e32\u0e23\u0e4c\u0e40\u0e0b\u0e42\u0e25\u0e19\u0e48\u0e32","517":"\u0e1b\u0e32\u0e23\u0e35\u0e2a \u0e41\u0e0b\u0e07\u0e15\u0e4c \u0e41\u0e0a\u0e23\u0e4c\u0e01\u0e41\u0e21\u0e07","664":"\u0e41\u0e2d\u0e15\u0e40\u0e25\u0e15\u0e34\u0e42\u0e01\u0e49 \u0e21\u0e32\u0e14\u0e23\u0e34\u0e14","2226":"\u0e01\u0e23\u0e32\u0e19\u0e32\u0e14\u0e32 CF","476":"\u0e41\u0e2d\u0e18\u0e40\u0e25\u0e15\u0e34\u0e01 \u0e1a\u0e34\u0e25\u0e40\u0e1a\u0e32","305":"\u0e25\u0e32\u0e2a \u0e1e\u0e31\u0e25\u0e21\u0e32\u0e2a","464":"\u0e1b\u0e2d\u0e23\u0e4c\u0e42\u0e15\u0e49","556":"\u0e2d\u0e31\u0e25\u0e40\u0e21\u0e40\u0e23\u0e35\u0e22","370":"\u0e2d\u0e34\u0e19\u0e40\u0e15\u0e2d\u0e23\u0e4c \u0e21\u0e34\u0e25\u0e32\u0e19","49":"\u0e40\u0e0b\u0e1a\u0e35\u0e22\u0e48\u0e32","351":"\u0e23\u0e32\u0e42\u0e22\u0e48 \u0e1a\u0e32\u0e40\u0e22\u0e01\u0e32\u0e42\u0e19\u0e48"},"e_index":8};