Fans' praise caps perfect year for Xavi

If 2008 was Spain's year, there was no doubt among uefa.com users who was the architect of their triumph at UEFA EURO 2008™, as they voted in their thousands to name Xavi Hernández as central midfielder and captain in their Team of the Year 2008.

Riches
Xavi was the fulcrum of the Spain midfield, the conduit for their attacks, and his precise, pinpoint passing set the rhythm and style for all their play. At club level the first half of 2008 was a disappointment as FC Barcelona finished well off the pace in the Liga and were knocked out in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. Since June, though, the 28-year-old has blazed a trail for club and country that propelled Spain to their first major trophy since 1964 and promises further riches for Barcelona in the months ahead.

Attack-minded
For Xavi, the key to success could not be more simple. "What I like most of all, not about myself but about the game, is to pass the ball, to look for an unmarked colleague, to know where the ball is going to go and what is best for the team," he told uefa.com. "I like to think about where the ball is going and how the team can do the most damage. I always think offensively."

Player of the Tournament
That was there for the world to see at UEFA EURO 2008™, particularly when it mattered most. Xavi scored the crucial opening goal in the semi-final against Russia, then in the final he provided the pass that led to Fernando Torres's winner against Germany. During the final he made 62 passes, more than anyone else, with a completion rate of 87 per cent. Torres may have been anointed man of the match but it was Xavi who was chosen by the UEFA Technical Team as their Player of the Tournament. "I wasn't expecting it, I never thought I'd be chosen as the best player at a European Championship," Xavi said. "At the time I thought it was a prize for the whole team and for Spanish football. I think we had a great tournament and played good football. It was a great joy. I shared [the award] with my colleagues as I think I owe it to them.

'Harmony'
"International tournaments had been a thorn in Spain's side for many, many years," he continued. "We had lost many quarter-finals, lost many times in the knockout stages. We plucked that thorn out by beating Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals and from them on the team let itself go and tried to enjoy the moment. I was sure Spain were going to win the tournament. It was our moment. I think we're among the best national teams in the world on a technical level and on a human level. There is a very good harmony and understanding in the dressing room."

New goal
Barcelona are now feeling the benefits of Xavi's flowering on the international stage as he leads the Catalan club's assault on the Liga and UEFA Champions League titles. An unused substitute during Barça's 2006 UEFA Champions League victory, Xavi has unfinished business to attend to, but he pleads against getting carried away by the Blaugrana's brilliant form so far this season. "In the Champions League you never know what's going to happen – one bad match and you're out. The league championship is about the work you put in throughout the season, so the first thing is to win the league. Then we'll see about the rest, although the possibility of winning the Champions League is what excites us most."

Same again
Given what Xavi achieved in 2008, few would bet against him tasting further glory with Barcelona in 2009. Xavi, though, insists it will not be going to his head. "Yes, now I'm in the media more, I give more interviews, and the press always want to speak to more. But I haven't changed. I still have my ideals and my thoughts about life – they are not going to change at all."

To view the uefa.com users' Team of the Year 2008 and to have your say, click here.