SOCCER
What were Xavi's stats as a Barcelona player? Titles, assists, records...
Barcelona legend Xavi Hernández has returned to the club to take over as head coach, the 41-year-old replacing the sacked Ronald Koeman in the Camp Nou hotseat.
Legendary former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernández has been confirmed as the club’s new head coach, the ex-Al Sadd boss signing a two-and-a-half-year contract to take over from Ronald Koeman, who was sacked late last month after defeat to arch rivals Real Madrid was followed by a surprise loss at Rayo Vallecano.
Xavi, 41, leaves Al Sadd after steering the Qatari club to five trophies, including the Qatar Stars League title in 2020/21. With Barça sitting at 9th in LaLiga, in a battle to reach the last 16 of the Champions League, bereft of star performers and heavily in debt, he now faces a mammoth task to repeat the successes he enjoyed at the Camp Nou as a player.
Trophy-laden career as a Barcelona player
After making his Barcelona debut in 1998, Blaugrana youth product Xavi won no fewer than 25 trophies in a 17-year spell in the club’s first team. It’s a haul that places him fifth on the list of Barça’s most decorated players, behind Lionel Messi (who claimed a record 35 winners’ medals with the Catalans), Andrés Iniesta (32), Gerard Piqué and Sergio Busquets (both 30).
Xavi’s silverware collection as a Barça player breaks down as: eight LaLiga titles (1998/99, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2014/15), three Copas del Rey (2008/09, 2011/12 and 2014/15), four Champions Leagues (2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2014/15) six Spanish Super Cups (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013), two UEFA Super Cups (2009 and 2011) and two FIFA Club World Cups (2009 and 2011).
Barcelona's second-highest appearance maker
Before joining Al Sadd in 2015, initially as a player, Xavi amassed a then-club-record 767 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona. The mark has since been surpassed by Messi, who played 778 times for Barça before his summer departure. Xavi also made 61 appearances for Barça B, the club’s second team, between the 1997/98 and 1999/2000 campaigns.
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The midfielder scored 85 times for Barça’s first team, and supplied 185 assists. His slick, quick, unerring passing ability memorably persuaded the great Spanish TV commentator Andrés Montés to nickname him ‘Humphrey Bogart’ - a reference to the film star’s famous line “play it again, Sam” in the 1942 classic Casablanca.
On the Ballon d'Or podium three times
Capped 133 times by Spain, Xavi was a key part of the Spanish side that won the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, and his exploits for both club and country saw him finish third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or on three occasions - in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He also placed third in the running for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award.