There were celebrations in the Hernandez household this week as Xavi made his 700th first team appearance for Barcelona. Here we look at the man who has had all of Spain saying 'Muchas gracias, Xavi!' Xavi was born on 25th January 1980 in the Catalonian town of Terrassa. He showed promise from an early age and was snapped up by the world famous Barcelona academy. From 1997 he started playing for Barcelona B, making 61 appearances for them and scoring four goals. He made his first team debut on 3rd October 1998 in a 3-1 win over Valencia – it was to form a pattern. When Xavi plays to his … [Read more...]
Xavi rewrites the history books
Xavier "Xavi" Hernández i Creus became the most successful player in Spanish football history last night with Futbol Club Barcelona's Supercopa de España win against Atlético de Madrid at the Camp Nou, breaking a longstanding record of trophy wins for one player. Francisco "Paco" Gento López held the previous record with 24 trophies, won with Real Madrid and Spain during the 1950's and 60's, including 6 European Cups with Madrid and one European Championship with Spain. … [Read more...]
The top 10 La Liga players of the 21st century
In football terms, few would argue that the 21st century has so far belonged to Spain. The national side has risen from the ranks of perennial under-achievers to become undeniably the dominant force in the international game, winning the European Championship and World Cup tournaments in succession. European football fans have drooled over the sublime technical skills of Spanish clubs featuring stellar line-ups of home-grown talent mixed with modern greats of the game. Catalan giants FC Barcelona developed a side which has not only won every possible major honour in club football, but they've … [Read more...]
The top 10 Spanish football players of all time
While England has always laid claim to being the home of football, in the last few years the beautiful game has definitely taken a holiday home in sunny Spain. The two countries' footballing histories have a lot in common. Great league and cup competitions, big-spending clubs, world-renound players, and one glorious international tournament triumph followed by years of expectation and disappointment – that is until recently. During the last five years, Spanish football has truly made its mark on the game. The current period belongs, and will forever belong, to Spain. The international side … [Read more...]