Coming to Qatar one of the best decisions of my life, says Xavi
Doha, Qatar: The delightful journey that started at La Masia in the outskirts of Barcelona will end on Thursday at the grand setting of the Amir Cup final which will also be the unveiling of Al Wakrah Stadium.
Xavi Hernandez has always been a winner and he said he wished to end his career by winning the Amir Cup.
There is every chance that he will hold the trophy aloft on Thursday, but even if he doesn’t, it won’t make the career of one of the greatest central midfielders any less glittering.
Xavi has conquered the world even before he set foot in Doha, with four Champions League titles and eight La Liga trophies for Barcelona, and a World Cup and two European Championships for Spain being his biggest among countless triumphs for both club and country.
Xavi has been every bit a role model during his time at Sadd. The Spanish star who guided Sadd to an emphatic QNB Stars League triumph in April, which was his fourth trophy with the Wolves.
“It was one of the best decisions of my life to come here,” Xavi, who arrived in Doha in 2015, told Al Sadd website.
“My family and I, we are very comfortable here. My children are like Qatari because they were born here. We are very happy and grateful to live here. Everyone offers us respect.
“I want to thank my big family at Al Sadd, all my friends on the team, the management, the staff – everyone worked hard and they ensured that I was very happy throughout these last four years.”
It’s no surprise that Xavi, a serial winner, wants to finish off with the Amir Cup.
“We are delighted to reach the final of the Amir Cup. We will try to end the season in the best way possible by winning the title. It will be the ideal ending to the season, in the presence of His Highness the Amir and playing at the Al Wakrah Stadium, one of the venues of the World Cup.
“As the captain of the team, I hope I get the honour of lifting the trophy. This is one of the most important tournaments in Qatar and we want to grab this great opportunity.
It will be a tough game (against Duhail), but we have trained hard during this past week and I am very excited for the opportunity to win the last title of my life as a footballer at one of the 2022 World Cup pitches. We want to put smiles on the faces of our fans because they certainly deserve it,” said Xavi.
The midfield maestro, who has few peers when it comes to running a football game, said there are plenty of top midfielders at present.
“There are many excellent midfielders today, some of them are superstars, such as Sergio Busquets, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Marco Verratti. Many others are there as well, but I don’t really like comparisons and I don’t want to miss out on any name. I think there will be better players than me, because football is like life, there is always renewal.”
