Spanish midfielder Xavi says that he enjoyed a “dream farewell” at Barcelona and that the script “could not have been better” in an interview through FIFA.com. The former Barça man says he has enjoyed a good welcome in Qatar ahead of what he sees as the “ideal project” with his new club.
“Last year my mother and my friends insisted that I should stay one more year, and look at the difference it's made,” Xavi said. “I'm happy that I was able to witness all that I did this year, with the treble and everything around it. It's been a real dream farewell.”
The former Spain international said that he wanted to have the best possible farewell at Barcelona and that the script “could not have been better” but he refused to choose between the treble successes of 2009 and 2015 as a favourite, saying both were “incredible” and that he was “proud to form part of both”.
“This one [2015 ]was a mixture of excitement, happiness and nostalgia; because I already knew that it would be the last game that I would play for Barcelona,” he admitted. “I'm very grateful to Al Sadd, to the children who welcomed me here today, and the fanatic football fans in this country who behaved so well towards me,” he added.
“[The presentation] was something new for me because I’ve never had to do one before. I had one on a much smaller scale when I was 11 years old when I came to Barcelona, but never something like this,” said the midfielder after his presentation.
“It's an ideal project for me,” Xavi admitted. “The three different components came together perfectly for my family and me. For one there is the possibility here at Al Sadd to continue winning trophies, to try and do our best to win the league and the cup and compete well in the Asian Champions League. Then there is the fantastic project at Aspire where my professional formation will continue, and finally to be an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is something that is very exciting.”
, and I see that there are already teams here who like to play our style of football,” he continued. “I know that Al Sadd and the coach here play the style which we have played with Barcelona and with the Spanish national team over the past decade, so I come with the knowledge that I'll be able to contribute. I have seen games of Al Sadd and they attempt to keep the ball, and play in a style similar to what I'm used to.”
Xavi also revealed that the Qatari national side are looking to “immerse themselves in the culture of Barcelona and Spain” and “to compete well and to reach the World Cup in 2022 with the most competitive team possible.”
“Here the fact that you don’t have to travel long distances is an advantage,” he said. “I also think that playing in November and December will allow players to reach the tournament in the best possible conditions. “There are also stadiums already employing air-conditioning, so I think the conditions are here to make this World Cup a great success. It will be a benefit for the players.”