adminMADRID. — Barcelona and Spain midfielder Xavi Hernandez has announced his retirement from international football. The 34-year-old won the World Cup and two European Championships with his country. He was capped 133 times, more than any other Spanish outfield player, and scored 13 goals.
Xavi wants 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 100 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.”
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 yesterday 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 veteran 34-year-old said of Suarez’s pending appeal, due to be heard at the court of arbitration for sport in Lausanne on Friday: “It’s a spectacular signing. He had an incredible season with Liverpool and we hope that the sanction is reduced. I know him personally and he is a great person.
“He has apologised for what happened (at the World Cup) so we hope the appeal is successful.”
The Barcelona captain 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 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.
He was voted player of the tournament at the 2008 European Championships as Spain ended a 44-year wait for a major international trophy and began a period of domination on the world stage.
Spain started the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as one of the favourites, but were dumped out of the tournament in the group stages after a 5-1 humiliation at the hands of the Netherlands and a 2-0 loss to Chile.
Xavi said: “I was going to retire after Euro 2012 but head coach Vicente Del Bosque persuaded me to stay on and go to Brazil, which was of course a huge disappointment for everyone and myself individually.” — AFP.
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