Joaquín Pays Tribute to Xavi: ‘Admire His Journey, Sometimes Things Unfold as They Do

Joaquín Sánchez has expressed his utmost admiration for Xavi Hernández after the announcement of the FC Barcelona coach’s decision to step down at the end of the season. The legendary Real Betis player, now serving as an ambassador for LaLiga and representing the FC Futures tournament, reflected on the pressures of a high-profile role in the football world.

As an ambassador for LaLiga FC Futures, Joaquín will be present to follow the progress of young talents. He emphasized the significance of the tournament taking place in Arabia: “I found it to be a beautiful initiative: being able to accompany these youngsters, allowing them to enjoy and appreciate what it means to play in an eleven-a-side football tournament in a country like Arabia is marvelous. It seems spectacular. It’s a country that also values football. The facilities are wonderful; the youngsters will enjoy it.”

In an era of increasingly mechanized football, Joaquín longs for the return of distinctive players who can bring creativity and artistry to the game: “Footballers should be able to be creative, dream, create art. That street football, that audacity… I miss it. We see players like Isco, an artist, a footballer, enthusiastic, motivated… That’s what makes me thrill. We also talk about a player like Chimy, Fornals with exciting quality, who makes you rise from your seat, Nabil Fekir… There are players outside who take on challenges like Nico Williams. In today’s modern football, there is room for all types of players. What I have always dreamed and enjoyed on the field is the dribbling, one-on-one, and scoring. Those types of players are the ones that excite me, without diminishing the value of other player types.”

As an ambassador for LaLiga, Joaquín assessed the current state of Real Betis: “We have had a European competition that was not important. Every year we compete with the utmost enthusiasm. We left sad because we did not compete at our highest level.”

Speaking about Xavi, with whom he coincided during their time as players for the Spanish national team, Joaquín expressed his utmost respect: “I was fortunate to coincide with Xavi in the national team when we played. As a footballer, I won’t uncover anything about what he has been. It’s true that being the coach of a team like Barcelona exposes you to the highest demands; he knew perfectly where he was coming. I don’t need to say it. Everyone does their job as best as possible; all I can say is that I have the utmost admiration and respect because I know what he feels for football, for Barcelona, for his work… Sometimes things unfold as they do, although I won’t be the one to assess Xavi’s work. I have the utmost respect for him. He will always be a great figure to me.”