Xavi

Xavi Hernández i Creus, known simply as Xavi, is a Spanish football manager and former professional player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He was born on 25 January 1980 in Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain.

During his playing career, Xavi spent the vast majority of his club career with FC Barcelona, coming through the La Masia academy and breaking into the first team in 1998. He was a central midfielder famed for his passing, vision, and ability to control the tempo of a match, playing a key role in Barcelona’s success during the club’s tiki-taka era. He won multiple La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies with Barcelona before leaving the club in 2015 to join Al-Sadd in Qatar, where he finished his playing career in 2019.

Internationally, Xavi earned 133 caps and scored 13 goals for Spain. He was a core member of the national team during its most successful period, helping Spain win Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2012, and he served as captain on occasions.

After retiring as a player, Xavi began coaching with Al-Sadd, achieving domestic success there. In November 2021, he was appointed head coach of Barcelona, where he has pursued a possession-based style and overseen efforts to restore competitiveness in domestic and European competition.