Xavi’s two centenaries: between Pep’s farewell and Lamine’s departure

22 years and just over three months after he reached his first centenary as a Barça player, Xavi Hernández will reach the same anniversary, but now not wearing shorts, but sitting on the FC Barcelona bench. To celebrate his first centenary as Barça coach, Xavi shared with MD a test in which he reviews his first 100 games on the Barça bench.

The day he reached his first 100 games with Barçaa June 24, 2001at the same time as saying goodbye Pep Guardiola as a Barcelona footballer. That day, the 50,000 fans who gathered at Camp Nou They didn’t even enjoy the goodbye Guardiola nor of Barcelona’s first centenary of Xavi with success. He Barça tied (1-1) match Celtic and was knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the semi-finals, after a 1-3 draw in the first leg in Vigo. The Galicians went ahead with a goal from Berizzo after two minutes, and despite that fact Kluivert tied the score just two minutes later, the Barçathen coach for Rexachnever came back.

Xaviwho shared the middle of the field with Guardiola and Gabrielplayed the first 55 minutes and was replaced by Ivan de la Pena. After that bitter centenary, Xavi He still celebrated seven centenaries as a player of Barçauntil reaching the figure of 767 matchesas the second footballer in history to dress the most in the Blaugrana after Messi (778).

This Wednesday at the stadium Dredgingthe same scenario where Leo Messi debuted on the shirt Barça In a friendly match at the age of just 16, Xavi would add his first 100 matches directing to FC Barcelona from the bank. Naa 99 matches which is argued adds to the balance of: 62 wins, 18 draws and 19 losses, 190 goals for and 95 matches. In addition, it now has two titles: one League and one Spanish Supercup. If his first great anniversary as a player came accompanied by the farewell of Guardiola within Barçahis bank centenary was marked by the emergence of Lamine Yamalthat he made his debut last season at just 15 years, 9 months and 16 days, making him the youngest player to debut in the team’s shirt. Barça. Although in each of his interventions where he is asked about Lamine, the Barça coach appeals to caution and emphasizes that “we have to protect him”, the truth is that many hopes are placed on the young forward, that this Monday He will renew with the club for three more seasons, although there is an agreement that when he turns 18 he will automatically renew for five more seasons, until 2030.