Cruyff tips Xavi to take the Golden Ball
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff believes that influential midfielder Xavi Hernandez should be awarded the Golden Ball this month. The Golden Ball, or Ballon d’Or as it is officially called, is a prestigious prize honouring the best player in Europe. Barcelona’s
Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez are the three players to be shortlisted for the award this year.
Cruyff is a living legend at the Nou Camp, having led the club to numerous titles both as a player and a manager. He is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. After his playing days, he took on a managerial role at the club, becoming the
most successful manager in Barcelona’s storied history. During his time at the club, Cryuff led the Catalans to eleven major trophies, firmly cementing his place in Barcelona folklore.
The former Dutch international has tipped Xavi to win the Ballon d’Or this month. Cryuff knows a thing or two about the prize, having won it three times during his playing days. Needless to say, his predictions are not to be taken lightly. Speaking on each
player’s chances of winning the award, Cryuff said,
“All three finalists are from the same team, which makes clear the potential of the collective in which they play. For extreme individual quality, the award should go to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296, for ball control and acceleration, it should be Iniesta, but for consistent
performance, as the conductor, and to mark the times, it must be Xavi. To make this Barcelona team work, they need a conductor. So I opt for Xavi, for his ability to structure the side and to control the periods of play. Messi had a weak World Cup, and in
the months of last season when Iniesta missed a lot of games, he kept performing.”
Xavi recently broke the all time appearance record for Barcelona when he played his 549th game for the club against Levante. Now at the age of thirty, the Spanish international still shows no signs of slowing down. Even if he doesn’t win the prize
this year, Xavi will be happy to know that football legend Johan Cryuff considers him to be the best player in Europe, and his blessing is almost as good as the award itself.
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