Barcelona midfielder Xavi says that his playing days may be over sooner rather than later. The Spaniard was widely expected to leave Barcelona in the summer for a couple of years in the Middle East or MLS.
This did not happen after the 34-year-old decided to extend his spell at Barcelona, where he has been at since the start of his career. Xavi undoubtedly attained his peak at the age of 28 and this coincided with an impeccable spell for Barcelona. During a period of five years, this Catalan club played outstanding football and it was largely orchestrated byXavi.
Despite announcing his international retirement after the end of the World Cup 2014, it looks likeXavi may not be playing for much longer.
The star has admitted that his body is no longer allowing him to play two matches in a week at the same level of sharpness. Even though he has already featured in 19 matches of all competitions,Xavi has scored only one goal and created three assists. This is in sharp contrast to his achievements during the 2010-11 season when he averaged double this tally.Xavi has revealed that he is already looking at the prospect of becoming a coach in the future, which will help him follow in the footsteps of Guardiola.
“My playing days are numbered, that is clear. I can feel it in my body as it is difficult for me to recover and I need to measure how much effort I am putting in. I don’t have the same sharpness to play every three days any more. Everyone was saying I was going to be the new hero and it was tough. This made a difference to me as it meant I went out trying to be my own person while everyone else said I was the new Guardiola,” said Xavi.