Xavi Hernandez excited about Ballon d’Or prospects but "will not lose sleep over it"
Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez is one of the three players shortlisted for the FIFA Ballon d'Or World Player of the Year award, which will be announced on Monday, January 10.
This will be the first ever FIFA Ballon d'Or World Player of the Year award, after the FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or European Player of the Year were merged in July 2010. All the more reason for Xavi, who
is the favourite to win the honour, to be excited.
"I would be very excited to win, because it is the best award you can win at an individual level," said Xavi, "but I will not lose sleep over it."
What Xavi is truly thrilled about, though, is that whoever is announced as the winner of the award in Zurich on Monday, the award will be coming to Camp Nou. All three players shortlisted for this year's Ballon d'Or are Barcelona
players: Xavi, Andres Iniesta and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Lionel-Messi-c22296.
"Just that the three players are former youth players at Barca is a cause for pride," Xavi said. "It will be a Barca party."
Like Iniesta and Messi, Xavi is a product of La Masia, the youth academy of Barcelona. La Masia has set a record by becoming the first youth academy to have three finalists for the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
"Just being there, along with Andres and Leo, makes me very happy," said Xavi.
Xavi, who is regarded by many as one of the greatest central midfielders of all time, made his 550th appearance for Barcelona in the last match he played, which was against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Athletic-Club-c38535 in a Copa del Rey pre-quarterfinal.
He now holds the record as the player who has made the most appearances for Barca, previously held by Migueli. After Xavi was taken off the pitch by Josep Guardiola during the 77th minute of the game, the crowd at the San Mames Stadium gave him a standing
ovation.
"I am very proud to have been able to defend the Barca colours," said Xavi. "It means everything to me. I feel privileged, and to have won titles, which is what this club aims to do. Defending these colours is the best, it
is an honour to be here."
When Xavi was asked what his favourite game was throughout his 13-year career, he said that it was hard to choose. "Perhaps the 6-2 at the Bernabéu [against Real Madrid in 2009], or the recent 5-0 [at Camp Nou, against Real
Madrid in 2010] for the way we played, but also the Champions League final in Rome [against Manchester United in 2009, which Barca won 2-0]. In the end it’s the games where you win titles," said Xavi.
Xavi hasn’t said anything specific about whether he had any retirement plans. "If I could, I’d play football all my life, but it depends on the circumstances," he said. "I can carry on for some time. But I just want to enjoy
the moment. I don’t make targets for myself."
But what he is sure about is that he would like to play for Barcelona until the end of his footballing days – which he says will not come for a while. "I have played football all my life, and I intend to
continue here for many years," he said. "I have left my injury problems behind, because I practically no longer suffer in games."
Xavi was also all praise for his manager and mentor Guardiola, saying, "Josep Guardiola has been an example to me, and I’m proud of that, because he is an excellent person and an extraordinary coach. I don’t like to be compared
with anybody, but he has always been the person I have judged myself by."
While Xavi may not be losing sleep over the Ballon d’Or, he is concentrating on the Copa del Rey for now.
"We had a really nice final two years ago, and we’d like to get there again. We consider the cup to be an important competition."
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