09.06.2010 15:02
Xavi: “I want to hang up my boots here”
Edgar Fornós / Roger Bogunyà
Xavi Hernandez is delighted to have secured a deal that will keep him at the Club until 2016. He told us “I want to hang up my boots here”.
Xavi spoke to Barca TV and fcbarcelona.cat on Tuesday after rumours had circulated that he could be
put on the transfer list depending on who wins the upcoming presidential elections: “I wanted
to know that I’m not going anywhere. I’m very grateful to President Laporta and to
director of sport Txiki Begiristain because they listened to me. It’s what I want. I’m
a big Barca fan and I’m very happy”.
Through to retirement
Xavi will remain under contract with Barca until 2014 at least and now has the chance to
extend his career at the Club until 2016, when he’ll be 36: “I’ve been involved
with Barca all my life, coming up through the ranks, and I’d like to hang up my boots here.
My only objective is to retire here”.
Laporta: “It’s a really nice story”
Joan Laporta was equally pleased with the deal and revealed that there
had been a three-way agreement on the terms between Xavi, the Club and Laporta himself:
“It’s great news for the Club. Xavi’s story is a really nice one. A boy who
played in the youth teams and made his first team debut when he was 18”. Xavi is now every
close to beating Migueli’s all-time record of appearances for Barca.
Winning ways
According to the Club president, Xavi has plenty of ambition left: “Xavi told me that
they’re going to keep on winning”.
However, on a more personal note, Mr Laporta told us: “We should be grateful to Xavi.
From the moment he became one of the captains of the team, with players like Puyol, Iniesta,
Valdés, Messi and Piqué, he has shown the personal and sporting profile which proves that the youth
academy has triumphed”.