SPACE + TIME = XAVI

Everything points that, at the end of the season, Xavi Hernández will leave Barça. "It's okay to leave. It's old" or "He is not useful for this modern game" are some of the things we've heard in recent times. I will not make any assessment on them. It's wasting time. It's that simple.

It is true that no one will remember Xavi as the player who ran faster than anyone, who jumped more than anyone, who recovered balls, who put the foot making a huge effort to prevent the ball went into the goal after the goalkeeper was overcame, that... nothing. From all this, nothing.

Nor he won't remembered for three "nutmegs" on the same play or, dribbling one player after another or, for his records as a scorer. Not Either.

About football it has always said that it was a matter of space and time. The one who dominates this, dominates football. And this is SIR XAVI (Yes, in capital letters, as the "Master" Puyal named him). Xavi is football. It is the "fucking boss" of space and time. Always with the GPS in position, scanning all the possibilities before receiving the ball. "What he does is very easy," said some. Easy? You mean it's easy to play 1-2 touches almost always choosing the best option? No. Not a chance. What Xavi does is very complicated. If it was that easy, the world would be full of Xavis. And it is not. For some reason it will be.

Now turn to play short. Now, long. Now, to the right. Now, to the left. Now, forward. Now back. Now, we accelerate. Now, we stop. Now, I approach. Now, I go away. Space and time. Always, at all times. Reading the match and the play as few players in football history. Always knowing what it is most interested for the team.

"The false 9" is not understood without Xavi. "When you see Leo in this  position between the lines, pass him the ball," said Pep to Xavi the day of 2-6 at the Bernabéu. And Xavi,  searching for Messi. And when he saw him where he had been told, PAM! Because, of course, for much intelligence you have, if you can not play it ... and Xavi, plus intelligence, has quality. Tons of quality that many people have never seen or understood.

"Move the ball to move the opposition," says the manual of positional playing. And Xavi got tired of playing the ball. Towards hither and thither. Always with the idea of ​​disrupting the contrary, to find the spaces between the lines, to find the place inside pass and then again, PAM! Take, Leo, finish. And, Leo, if he gets the ball on the edge of box, he finishes. That's why he is the best in the world.

"Do not touch if they don't come" also the manual says. And Xavi was running with the ball, until an opponent was coming to look for him and, then, a soft touch and an opponent less. And a line overpassed. And, closer to the opponent's box. Space and time. Every Time.

Xavi, besides breaking many lines too, with Iniesta and Messi broke another football "myth". The small and technical players. Especially among the "6" and "8" showed that, for playing in midfield, you did not need to have 1,80m. nor weigh 80kg. And, when they linked with the "10"... Those 3v2 near the opponent's box dizzy everyone until, PAM!, once again. Take, Leo, finish

"The ball does not get tired, let's make run the ball," also the manual says. And Xavi made the ball run at a crazy speed. So much that one day, which Barça won 4-0 Bayern in the Champions League, Van Bommel (former Barça and Bayern at the time), when asked after the game why they had not made almost no fouls, he replied "Is that nobody was there. When we arrived, there was no ball or otherwise. It was like chasing ghosts".

It will take years to see one like him. Not at Barça, no. In the world. No players like him appear every day. There is no plenty of Architects and Engineers with this style. No people have mastered spatial concepts like the one of Terrassa. A player does not have 7 Leagues, 3 Champions, 2 World Club Cups, 2 European Championships and 1 World Club, playing as a starter, if you don't have something special.

Ladies and gentlemen, stand up and hats off. With all of you, the "Lord of space and time": SIR XAVI!

Jordi Pascual

You can follow me on twitter: @JordiPascualP