Former Barcelona legend and coach Xavi Hernández is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in the history of football and rightfully so. However, despite his quality and exceptional talent, he never won a Ballon d'Or.
Xavi finished in the third place of the Ballon d'Or race three times, in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and his teammate, Lionel Messi was the winner all three years. Recently, during a chat with former footballer Romário on his YouTube, Xavi was asked about his feelings and he said, there can be no debate about the winner.
Xavi Hernández is one of the greatest talents football has ever seen. During his prime, he ended up in the top 5 in the Ballon d'Or race for five years consecutively, 2008-12. From 2009 to 2012, he ended up being third in the race as Lionel Messi bagged consecutive awards.
The 46-year-old former footballer recently appeared on Romário TV, hosted by former footballer Romário. When asked if he ever felt that he deserved the Ballon d'Or, Xavi dismissed the prospect of comparison.
The football manager, a dear friend and fan of the eight-time Ballon d'Or award winner, said, "No, I don’t feel that way...Messi is a much better footballer than me...There can be no comparison or debate."
He added, "I am a team footballer and there they choose one at an individual level. I never had the feeling that I have been robbed of a Ballon d'Or."
During the long chat, Xavi opened up about today's players and who he thinks the "new Messi" is. "I hope I'm wrong because I would like them to be better than Messi, but I don't think it's going to happen. I lived with Leo every day for 15 years and he was the best at everything: technically, physically, understanding the game, heading, wrong leg, mentality... he's a competitive animal", Xavi said.
The former Barcelona midfielder said that Messi is virtually unbeatable, adding, "He was from another planet, well he is, because he is going to play in a World Cup. In addition, he is a humble person, hardworking, disciplined, perfectionist. I saw him when he was 16 years old. He's a phenomenon".
Xavi's junior in both Barcelona and Spain, Lamine Yamal has quickly rose to fame because of his talent. In fact, as manager, Xavi was the one who gave the 18-year old the opportunity to shine in the senior team when he was just 15. Romário asked if his skills can be compared to the legendary Messi and Xavi said that while he is one of the best players currently, it is up to him to use his talent to make history.
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