Xavi Hernández: “Soccer is one of the only sports where workers are insulted. It is inadmissible "

Xavi Hernández Creus (Terrassa, 1980) has never cried for losing a game. Neither as a player nor as a coach. Something similar happens to it when a very fine crystal breaks and its splinters raise a white, catastrophic vapor. As if some kind of snake were twisting inside until it was facing him. That's when the anger comes out. In his first official match as coach of Al Sadd, in Qatar, a year ago, he kicked a bottle of water - "because the referee did not give a book penalty in the last minute" - and the shoe that had gifted Nuria, his wife, "flew through the stadium and went viral." We talk about ambition. Winner mentality. From a competitiveness that he has always managed with a spirit of nobility. It is not winning by winning. It's about painting the game, giving it a touch of style, creating air mazes with the ball.

Hernández does not cry out of sadness, but because of that softness that connects you with the emotions of others, almost by contagion. His eyes have a hyperactive movement. He is an idol at street level. The intact promise of Barça, the chorus that the fans, a good part of the sports press and many club players have been repeating for a year: “I signed Xavi now”. His name as an incantation to return the magic of Cruyffista to the team's game, also the illusion and pride of the fans of the Catalans.

July 11, 2010, Johannesburg, South Africa. Xavi, in the dressing room with the World Cup that he had just won with the national team. Photo: Getty

Xavi, considered one of the best midfielders in history, has lived since 2015 in Doha, the capital of Qatar, with his wife, Nuria Cunillera, and their two children: Asia and Dan. Doha represents the abundance of colored LEDs , Hermès and ferraris sandals, embellished fountains, and a network of air conditioners that fight the desert heat for eight months a year. Despite the blockade declared by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the current COVID-19 crisis, the country continues to invest in its future, for when the day comes when the reserves of high purity gas, Qatari gold, are in short supply. And that future goes through education, health and sports. And fashion. And the art. From Harrod's and Valentino to Van Gogh or the 2022 Soccer World Cup. It's about buying legend, quality, experience, influence.

Xavi feels at home there. She has received criticism for publicizing the reception, the media and the tranquility she has found. It does not deny the greatest: human rights, lack of freedom of the press, of equality; She also affirms that there are more and more changes taking place. “The emir and the royal family are very educated, cultured, cosmopolitan, detailed… intelligent people and not at all capricious. They take great care of the image and respect between the different clubs. I see them very humble for what they could be ”.

Isn't it time to go back yet? There is external noise, extra-sports issues ... I don't think it's now, no. In January I told them that it was not the time, and now they have not contacted me. As culé I wish them the best. I respect Quique Setién a lot, he has a game manual very similar to what Barça needs, which is Cruyffismo , another thing is that the results accompany. I am delighted to continue acquiring experience, challenging myself, and of course it would be a privilege for me to train Barça one day, with a dream team, with Jordi Cruyff, Carles Puyol and some current players. I would like to make a team with valid people who know the house, people of my trust and my rope.

January 2020, Xavi is supported by his players as they celebrate Al Sadd's victory in the Qatar Cup. Photo: Getty

What do you think of the renegotiation of Leo Messi, even if only for one year? He has earned it; automatic clause. Messi needs Barça, and Barça needs Messi. They have to make him happy, because with Leo Messi happy they will win more titles. I maintain a great friendship with him, I respect him a lot. He is a competitive animal, he always wants to win, and for ten years he has been the best footballer in the world. Hopefully we can meet again on a professional level. Having the best player in history on your team is having an ace to win.

Have you never measured yourself with him? Messi is better than me, without any doubt, there is no debate. He has done what Pelé, Cruyff, Maradona, Ronaldo ... but for 15 years and in modern times. He is at a very high physical, technical, tactical level ... and he continues to be the best in every game.

And what is your opinion of the Atlético de Madrid coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, one of the teams that has gotten better after the break? Simeone is achieving something very difficult: transmitting to his players an idea of ​​the game that, although it is very different from mine –and Barça's–, is equally valid. That is why he is the oldest coach in the last years of the Spanish First Division. In the end, the coach is a seller of ideas for his players, and the one who convinces them gets good results.

In a 1998 match, the season in which he made his debut as a Barça first-team player. Photo: Getty

Pep Guardiola's Barça distanced itself from the idea that football is a man's thing, from leaving the balls on the field ... But is there still machismo in football? There is still machismo in soccer, yes; it is still a reflection of society. But, mind you, football is also the only sports - and jobs - where workers are insulted, be it the footballers or the coach. I think we should stop this now. It is inadmissible, for example, that a waiter is insulted when doing his job… We cannot admit racism, machismo, or any other type of violence, they must be eradicated by stopping the parties automatically. The referee is the first who would have to say: "You don't play here because the conditions are not met ...".

Xavi admits having had a feeling of orphanhood during these months without matches. “It was very boring, because I am passionate about soccer. It is a powerful emotion, although I have been able to spend more time than ever with my children. We have spent 24 hours together and we have adapted very well. I have always valued what I have, and more now. I am privileged, I do what I like the most, I have a good position but I also know that money is not that important. We must relativize, we never know what the future will hold ”.

To what extent does playing without an audience affect? Of course, there has not been an excellent football, except Villarreal-Barcelona, ​​a high-level match. The rest are not encounters to be remembered. Even in the Bundesliga the matches seemed friendly, decaffeinated. An empty stadium does not convey anything to a footballer. In the end, it is the people who move the euphoria of football.

Photography assistant: Sara Guillén. Realization: Gilbert Solsona. Makeup: Aboudy.hairandmakeup. Photos: Getty Images.

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