Xavi Hernández was a Spanish footballer who played as a midfielder. Xavi was one of the representations of Pep Guardiola's great F.C. Barcelona, for his style being scientific and especially for his main characteristic as being the passer of the team. Xavi is considered one of the great midfielders in football history. He was part of the best generation of the Spanish national team, winning UEFA Euro 2008, FIFA World Cup 2010 and UEFA Euro 2012. He played a total of 133 matches for the Spanish national team.

His personality on the pitch was that of a calm player on the ball, always confident and confident in his actions. It was often possible to notice Xavi determining the position on the field of the teammate next to him, as well as being one of the team's leaders.

Xavi was not a physical player; he was not tall; he wasn't strong; he was not possessed of high acceleration or velocity. Due to his short stature, his aerial game was almost non-existent. However, Xavi was always trotting in midfield in order to always give his teammate the best option. He was a very mobile player. Xavi was a player almost exclusively of very high technical and tactical knowledge.

THE PASSER

His technique was sublime, mainly in the matter of the pass. Xavi possessed exceptional ball control, which allowed him to get rid of opposing coverage without any problem. His passes were precise, punctual and almost always flat. However, Xavi wasn't just dedicated to the ground passes, no. He performed long incisive or sideways balls with extreme surgical precision. In addition to performing a large number of passes during a match, his accuracy was astonishing. It was rare to see Xavi miss passes. Whether driving the ball or with one-touch-passes, Xavi's technique allowed him to very well move an opponent and create a clearer situation for a teammate. Not just in terms of passing, but Xavi had an excellent long shot; always dangerous for the opposing goalkeeper when he had the chance to kick. Before Lionel Messi was the main free-kick taker of the Blaugrana team, Xavi was the main one.

Even though he wasn't fast and was primarily a passing player, Xavi, when he needed to, had a precise and effective dribble for each move; always with the aim of creating space. With a few above-average tricks, he could outwit even more than one marker. With his ability to protect the ball, spin, trick opponents and get out of situations that other players wouldn't get out of, the Spaniard impressed the public with his certain of actions. Perhaps, his main move was the ability to turn completely to get rid of the opponent's marking.

TACTICAL MASTER

Tactically speaking, yes; Xavi was a tactical master, one of the best in history. His perception, clarity, attention, scanning of each play were essential in the midfield of his teams. Xavi saw the main play for his team, even when that same play was not seen by other players. He dictated the rhythm of the match, be it slower or faster. Always being in the right place, Xavi added more options to the midfield.

Xavi constantly scanned the field; always looking out for his teammates and opponents. Even before receiving the ball, Xavi already had the perception of the play. Xavi's ability to create and search for spaces was unique. A true example of the scientific and positional game applied throughout the history of football.

When he was younger, Xavi played as a defensive midfielder. Later, he ended up playing more on the right side as a central midfielder until reaching even more advanced positions for the Spanish national team.

Alongside Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta, Xavi was part of one of the best midfielders in football history. His role in that midfield was to be the orchestrator of the team; creating offensive plays for his team and, above all, orchestrating, controlling midfield tempo. Xavi didn't play as forward as Iniesta or as far back as Busquets, but Xavi could be seem infiltrating the opponent's last line when he noticed the free space between opposing defenders. Moreover, Xavi often withdrew to receive the ball — often even more than Busquets — from full-backs and initiate collective actions from behind.