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Barcelona pays tribute to departing Xavi Hernandez

By Stanford Crissey

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After 17 years, Xavi is leaving Barcelona, and the team came up with a neat tribute to their longest tenured player

Soccer teams are notoriously fickle, especially at the highest level. One minute you could be the toast of town; the next, you’re playing in an obscure Korean or Irish league. Just ask Ronaldinho how that goes.

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The very best players don’t stay that way for long, and at a top-tier club like Barcelona, they need to have a quick trigger finger. That’s why Xavi Hernandez’s tenure with the Spanish club is so impressive: he’s been there 17 years. Xavi recently announced his departure from the club after the season, and Barcelona put together a pair of neat tributes to their longtime midfielder, who debuted in 1998.

The first tribute came from the stands, courtesy of the fans:

The second tribute was in the form of this video, made by the club for their longtime star:

Xavi will leave the club after the season to sign a two-year contract with Qatari club Al-Saad. He leaves Barcelona as their alltime leader in appearances (764) and trophies (23).

Xavi was first signed to Barcelona’s youth team at the age of 11. He debuted in 1998 and has been a lineup mainstay ever since, until this year when he lost his spot in the starting lineup. Xavi also retired from the Spanish national team this past summer.

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