Xavi Hernandez has confirmed he will step down from international duty to concentrate on club football, and said he hopes to be welcoming new team-mate Luis Suarez to Barcelona sooner rather than later.
After over 133 games for the national team winning two European Championships and a World Cup the midfielder, widely recognised as the country’s greatest ever player, said: 'I leave the Spain team a very happy man and I desire them all the best.'
Xavi Hernandez was capped 133 times, more than any other Spanish outfield player, and scored 13 goals.
It
did appear in the summer that he would also be turning his back on
Barcelona but he finally committed himself to the club and speaking on
Tuesday at the club's Joan Gamper training complex he said Barca players
would be waiting with ‘open arms’ to welcome new signing Suarez as soon
as his ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini was served.
The Barcelona captain – who will find
out on Tuesday if he remains captain after a team vote – also admitted
it was talks with Sporting Director, Andoni [Zubizarreta] and Luis
Enrique that persuaded him that he still had a role to play. 'I’m I’m not 20 any more but I still have the same desire. I feel really good and I’m very happy to be carrying on,' he said.
Xavi was one of FC Barcelona’s three captain’s last season with Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes and with the other two now gone from the club, players will vote on a new trio of leaders to take them through this season.
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