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Yahoo! SEA up close with Barca legend Xavi

Despite being the cornerstone of a great Barcelona team, Xavi remains humble. (Photo/Fútbolita)
Despite being the cornerstone of a great Barcelona team, Xavi remains humble. (Photo/Fútbolita)

YAHOO! SEA EXCLUSIVE

He's won essentially everything there is in world football and is currently the world's most electrifying playmaker, with a dazzling reputation as the heartbeat of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.

So for someone who literally has the world at his feet, it's incredible that Xavi Hernandez — pronounced simply as 'Chavee' (Xavi) by the Catalans — comes across as a really down-to-earth and hilarious "tipo" (dude) in person.

And perhaps that's his secret. Because despite the glitz and glamour of today's football industry, the star midfielder — who is the shortest player in the national team at 1.70m — simply doesn't let fame get to his head.

When Yahoo! SEA met Xavi after Barcelona's private training session in the Joan Gamper Training city last month, he showed no indication of his millionaire and superstar status. Instead, he was dressed in a striped long sleeve shirt and greeted us with the customary Spanish greeting, a kiss on the cheek.

The 31-year-old said in Spanish :"It's very cool to have you here in Barcelona, 'encantado' (nice to meet you)" before confessing he knew little about the Southeast Asian region.

"Well, the truth is much of my knowledge about football in Asia is (about) Japan. They have a great system there with the J-League, which I watch sometimes."

Always ready with a relaxed smile and a laid-back approach, the twice-nominated FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010 is a huge Barca cult icon thanks to his reputation as a "Blaugrana" (blue and deep red) through and through.

The diminutive playmaker helped Barca to their impressive sextuple in 2009 — a feat that has never been achieved by any football club in history— and is well loved by the Catalan press.

When asked how he felt about being not only part of, but being the cornerstone of some say the best team the world has ever seen, Xavi simply replied, "Spanish football is very different from other parts of Europe. There is a lot of focus on records and history here, and I feel privileged to be a part of it with Barca."

"There are both good and bad times, and when you are criticised, you want to work harder to prove them wrong," said Xavi, as we walked to his car.

Such is his humility.

Earlier this year, the club's president Sandro Rosell praised his star midfielder's accomplishments and said: "Xavi has won everything and he represents the Barça values; effort, loyalty, work and heart. Loyalty is a difficult value to find and what Xavi has done for Barça is extraordinary."

When asked how he felt to be playing alongside two-time World Player of the Year and Barca team-mate Lionel Messi (to whom he twice missed out on the Ballon d'Or), Xavi smiled and shrugged it off in his typical relaxed demeanour.

"Leo is a fantastic player, of course, and a good friend of mine, so there's no hard feelings about losing out to a friend. Spain won the World Cup, where we played well and that itself is an individual achievement to me," he said. Touche.

There's also a famous saying in Barcelona goes "if you don't know what to do with the ball, give it to Xavi" in homage to Xavi's flair in producing some of the finest passes and goal assists football has ever witnessed.

His cool and composed style of play saw him achieve an astounding 89 per cent passing completion rate at last year's World Cup, surpassing Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Xavi has won essentially everything there is in world football. (Getty Images)
Xavi has won essentially everything there is in world football. (Getty Images)

"I had great memories of the World Cup in Japan (in 2002), where everyone was passionate and hardworking. This is something that is impressive, I think, and there is a lot of potential for the future of football there, in terms of the players and (stadiums). The Asian spirit is something we can learn from," Xavi added.

Back then, Xavi was making his mark as a 22-year-old in the national team alongside the ranks of Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Hierro, icons of Spanish football. But today, he has created his own history after equalling club legend Migueli's record of 549 appearances for Barcelona in January since his debut at La Masia, Barca's youth academy.

Xavi and Carles Puyol (left) celebrates after winning the World Cup with Spain in 2010. (Getty Images)
Xavi and Carles Puyol (left) celebrates after winning the World Cup with Spain in 2010. (Getty Images)

With eight of the players in La Seleccion being from FC Barcelona, many have argued that it was more of a 'Barca' World Cup victory. Xavi, however, feels that this is not true.

"All the fans in Spain deserved it because they've supported us for a long time and with so much passion. But victory was especially important to the Catalan people because we also represented them. It's our goal to make them happy and enjoy our football," he added.

Xavi's player pass from his youth days at Barcelona's La Masia academy. (Photo/Fútbolita)
Xavi's player pass from his youth days at Barcelona's La Masia academy. (Photo/Fútbolita)

ADVICE TO YOUTHS

Xavi also dished out advice to youths in Southeast Asia, who are hoping to turn football into a career but are apprehensive of their chances.

Barcelona held a five-day summer football camp for 150 children in Singapore in 2009 under the guidance of the club's three coaches.

But Xavi, a graduate of the famed La Masia academy, believes that it's all down to skill and practice — two elements that has helped him in his glittery career.

"Most importantly, you must practise and get your basics right," he said.

"Then you must make yourself available to the opportunities being given to you. Make sure you know where you're going, and with the right support from your family, friends and the coach, you'll get there. There's a lot of hard work and practise in football, and when you have the right qualities, you'll have a higher chance of being discovered."

Of course, Señor Xavi could not have said it any better.

Also known as 'Fútbolita' (the female voice of football) internationally, the writer specialises in Latin football and speaks both Spanish and Portuguese. Visit her blog here.

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