Xavi

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Xavi
Personal information
Full name	Xavier Hernández Creus
Date of birth	January 25, 1980
Place of birth	Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
Height	170 cm
Position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	FC Barcelona
Number	6
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1998-present	FC Barcelona	215 (16)
National team**
2000-	Spain	43 (3)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 June 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2006.

Xavier Hernández Creus (born January 25, 1980, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain) is a Catalan Spanish footballer more commonly known as Xavi. He currently plays for FC Barcelona and has been capped 33 times for the Spanish national team. He played for his country at the Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Xavi is renowned throughout Europe for his exceptional passing ability and technique.

[edit] Career

Xavi has spent all of his footballing life at the Camp Nou having joined Barça when he was only at the tender age of 11 years. 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 exceptional growth throughout the teams earned him a full debut on August 11, 1998. Xavi's first season in the first team was exceptional and began with him scoring on his debut in the Supercopa de España game against Mallorca. He quickly went on to become a key member of Louis van Gaal's title winning first team. His goal at the Nuevo Zorrilla is considered by many to be the turning point of Barça's season.

Xavi has since been a permanent fixture in the Barça midfield, under various coaches like Louis van Gaal, Carles Rexach, Radomir Antić and Frank Rijkaard. He won his first Spanish cap on November 15, 2000 against Holland and has since been a regular fixture in the Spanish squad. Xavi has endeared many fans with his long-range passing ability and deft touches to open opposition teams up. These, coupled with his steady composure, qualify him as one of the classiest midfielders in Europe.

His trip to the World Cup was in doubt due to a knee ligament injury, but Xavi recovered well in time and was named as part of Luis Aragonés' squad. His importance to the team was summed 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]

Throughout the tournament Xavi showed his importance to Spain, consistently setting up his teammates with his well placed passes. Xavi was named Man of the Match in Spain's first match against Ukraine and played in all of Spain's other three matches, before they were knocked out in the second round.

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. [2]

[edit] Honors and awards

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Spain
Men's Football
Silver	2000 Sydney	Team Competition

• FIFA World Youth Championship winner: 1999
• Sydney Olympic Games Silver Medal : 2000
• La Liga Title 1998-99, 2004-05, 2005-06
• UEFA Champions League 2005-06
• Supercopa de España 2005-06

[edit] External links

• Profile on club website
• ESPN Soccernet World Cup Profile
• SkySports World Cup Profile

	Spain squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists
1 Casillas | 2 Torres | 3 Juanfran | 4 Helguera | 5 Puyol | 6 Hierro | 7 Raúl | 8 Baraja | 9 Morientes | 10 Tristán | 11 de Pedro | 12 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

	Spain squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Casillas | 2 Salgado | 3 Pernía | 4 Marchena | 5 Puyol | 6 Albelda | 7 Raúl | 8 Xavi | 9 Torres | 10 Reyes | 11 García | 12 López | 13 Iniesta | 14 Alonso | 15 Ramos | 16 Senna | 17 Joaquín | 18 Fàbregas | 19 Cañizares | 20 Juanito | 21 Villa | 22 Pablo | 23 Reina | Coach: Aragonés

FC Barcelona - Current Squad
1 Valdés | 2 Belletti | 3 Motta | 4 Márquez | 5 Puyol | 6 Xavi | 7 Guðjohnsen | 8 Giuly | 9 Eto'o | 10 Ronaldinho | 11 Zambrotta | 12 van Bronckhorst | 15 Edmílson | 16 Sylvinho | 18 Ezquerro | 19 Messi | 20 Deco | 21 Thuram | 22 Saviola | 23 Oleguer | 24 Iniesta | 25 Jorquera | 28 Ruben | 29 Valiente | 32 Crosas | 33 Jeffrén | Coach: Rijkaard