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| Xavi |
 |
| Personal information |
| Full name |
Xavi Hernández |
| Date of birth |
25 January 1980 (1980-01-25) (age 28) |
| Place of birth |
Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain |
| Height |
1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Playing position |
Central Midfielder |
| Club information |
| Current club |
FC Barcelona |
| Number |
6 |
| Senior clubs1 |
| Years |
Club |
App (Gls)* |
1997–1998
1998– |
FC Barcelona B
FC Barcelona |
061 0(2)
281 (27) |
| National team2 |
| 2000– |
Spain |
058 0(7) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 15:17, 14 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 6 June 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)
|
Xavier Hernández Creus (born January 25, 1980, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain), normally known as Xavi is a Spanish footballer who plays in central midfield for Barcelona. He currently plays for FC Barcelona and has been capped 58 times for the Spanish national team. He played for his country at 2000 Summer Olympics, 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004, 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.
[edit] Career
[edit] Club career
Xavi has spent all of his footballing life at the Camp Nou, having joined Barça at the age of 11. 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 progression through the teams earned him a first team debut on August 18, 1998 in the Super Cup final, in which he scored against RCD Mallorca. He quickly went on to become a key member of Louis van Gaal's title winning team.
Although he is most used as an attacking midfielder, he is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder. Xavi is considered a successor of Josep Guardiola. Since the title-winning season of 2004/2005, he has been a vice-captain of the team.
Xavi is under contract to Barça until 2010, which carries a buyout clause of £100 million.
Xavi ranks fourth in the all-time appearances list for Barcelona with 419 appearances in nine seasons at the club.[citation needed]
[edit] International career
Xavi won his first Spanish cap on November 15, 2000 against the Netherlands and has since been a regular fixture in the Spanish squad. His trip to the World Cup was in doubt due to a knee ligament injury, but he recovered in time and was named as part of Luis Aragonés' squad. His importance to the team was summed up 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] 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.
[edit] Honors and awards
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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