Abu Dhabi: Xavi Hernandez is the most decorated Spanish footballer in history with an astounding 28 titles to his name, but this serial winner remains relentless in his pursuit of glory.
Xavi, who ended his illustrious 17-year career with Barcelona in June, harbours aspirations to ‘win everything’ with his club, Al Sadd of the Qatar Stars League.
He says he will strive to inculcate his new teammates with the Barcelona philosophy of play, with the ambitious bid of making the club comparable to ‘top European teams’.
In a wide-ranging interview, the 35-year-old maestro also reflected on his stellar career and reiterated his oft-stated belief that his former teammate Lionel Messi is the best footballer ever.
His new colleagues have also made “a good impression” on the 2010 World Cup winner, he said during Al Sadd’s pre-season camp in Austria.
“I feel happy because of the special atmosphere within the team, we are working as one family,” Xavi, who could face the Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ain in their friendly with Al Sadd next Wednesday, said.
“I want to win everything with the team and achieve many victories to help make them at the level of the top European teams. I will also try to transfer the philosophy of Barcelona on how to play.”
Beyond team success, Xavi is also relishing the prospect of being an ambassador for 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar.
“I am ready to do anything for Qatari football,” he said. “I think Qatar will be able to show its development at the 2022 World Cup. I am happy to participate in the preparation for the 2022 World Cup and I think that we have a lot of work to do in order to make the world know that Qatar is a wonderful country.”
As for his future when he hangs up his boots, Xavi said he would remain in football in some capacity as a coach or manager.
Reflecting on his past glories, the pass master said he he was a man extremely fulfilled.
“My dream was only to play for Barcelona, but I exceeded all my dreams and more and won all the titles I wished to,” the star, who insisted that Barcelona’s ability to ‘mine world football talent’ would compensate for his departure, said. “My international career was fantastic and I won four major titles, including the World Cup, a title sought by all football players.”
Yet Xavi’s career is not just a story of unfettered success and his international experience finished in dismal failure when Spain failed to progress beyond the first round at last year’s World Cup in Brazil.
He said: “Everyone suffered a big shock when we failed to get beyond the first round at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but this is the way football is sometimes and the Spanish team is able to advance strongly in the future.”
Last year’s global showpiece also ended in disappointment for Xavi’s great friend Messi, whose Argentina side suffered extra-time heartbreak in the final at the hands of Germany.
Yet Messi’s standing atop the pantheon of football greats remains unimpeachable, according to Xavi, despite the Argentinian genius’s failure to win a major title with his country apart from a 2008 Olympic gold medal.
Xavi said: “Messi is the best player in football history and indisputably better than [Diego] Maradona and Pele, [Zinedine] Zidane and Ronaldinho. Messi has always made the difference [in a game] since he was 20 years old and still does.
“It is worth noting that football 30 years ago was much slower than it is now. Messi has managed to overcome all the developments in football since 2006 and perform miracles. Therefore, in my view, he is the best player in the history of the game.”
Of Messi’s nemesis, the current Ballon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi added: “He’s a very good, wonderful player.”
Another player Xavi greatly admires is his former Spain teammate, goalkeeper Iker Casillas, whom he described as ‘a unique phenomenon and goalkeeping giant’.
He also went on to criticise Real Madrid’s treatment of their long-serving star, who left the club this summer for Porto with little fanfare or acclaim.
“His exit from Real Madrid was not worthy of his name,” he said.
