Xavi - Simply the Best

Considered as one of the best midfielders of all time and the best player of his generation, it should be no surprise that after an illustrious career at Barcelona, Spain and Qatar's Al Sadd Football Club, Xavi is making his mark as a football manager.

Recently named best coach by the Qatar Stars League, the nation's highest professional football league, Xavi won his award for his performance over the last few months. The current season (2020-21) has seen an impressive start for Xavi's team, Al Sadd. The team have played five league games to date, and under Xavi's leadership have won four times and drawn once. The team scored twenty goals and conceded just four, racking up 13 points out of a possible 15. Al Sadd is currently top of the standings four points ahead of reigning champions, Al Duhail. Xavi will no doubt be hoping that the inspiring start to the season will continue and that Al Sadd will be crowned the league's winners at the end of the season. Having already won the Qatar Cup, the Qatar Super Cup and the Qatar Stars Cup with Al Sadd, he only needs to lead the team to victory in the Qatar Stars League and at the Emir Cup to get a full house in domestic competition titles. And, seeing as Al Sadd has just reached the Emir Cup Final, that wish is coming ever nearer. With his managerial career having begun in 2019, it would be quite an achievement.

Xavi

First team midfield player for Barcelona since 1998, Xavi enjoyed an exceptional career with the Spanish team. He played in over 700 matches with the team, a club record, was the first player in the club's history to play a combined total of 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches, and scored a total of 85 goals. He also was part of the squads that won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. 

Xavi made his senior team debut for Spain in 2000. With his national team, he won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA EURO (2008 and 2012). He made 133 appearances for his country and played an integral role in the team's successes. 

After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Xavi announced his retirement from international football, and in 2015, he departed Barcelona for Qatar's Al Sadd. During his time at Al Sadd, he won four trophies - the Qatar Stars League (2018-19), the Emir Cup, the Qatar Cup and the Qatar Super Cup (all in 2017) before retiring in 2019.

During his time as a player, he was known for his impeccable precision passing and goal creating skills, as well as an ability to virtually never relinquish possession. In addition to his playing ability, Xavi was also known for his leadership skills, which he put to good use as squad captain at both Barcelona and Al Sadd, and as vice-captain for Spain at the 2010 World Cup. After retirement, he naturally transitioned to coaching and was appointed as manager at Al-Sadd in 2019.

As manager at Al Sadd, Xavi has used his experience at Barcelona and Spain to mould the team around the system for which Barça are famed - possession-based dominance. It is a tactic that is working for the team. The Al Sadd side is one of the best-attacking forces in the Middle East. Under Xavi's watchful eye, the team should continue to raise their game, especially if they can improve their defensive line.

Al Sadd Football Club

Meanwhile, Al Sadd’s midfielder, Santi Cazorla, was also presented with an award by the Qatar Stars League. The Spanish star was named the ‘Best Player’ for the start of  the season for his work registering four goals and four assists in the last five games. And, Cazorla isn’t the only Al Sadd player to be faring well...

Al Sadd Football Club is one of the most successful sports clubs in Qatar, winning a national record of 57 official football championships - including the Qatar Stars League fourteen times and the Emir Cup sixteen times. They are also the only Qatari football team to have won the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Champions League (1988–89 and 2011). The 2011 win earned the team a spot in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, which they played into the semi-finals finishing 3rd place.

Domestically in 2020, they have already won the Qatar Cup (for the seventh time) and the Qatar Stars Cup (for the second time). And, having demolished Al-Duhail in the semi-final of the 2020 Emir Cup, they are a match away (against Al-Arabi Football Club) from taking yet another trophy this year.

Specifically, the current squad have two of the Qatar Stars Leagues most prolific goal scorers on their team sheet, Akram Afif (the first Qatari-born player to sign for the La Liga division) and Baghdad Bounedjah. The pair are also the clubs most productive strikers along with Hassan Al Haydos, the team captain. Haydos is also the team's most capped player alongside Saad Abdullah Al Sheeb and 2018 Asian Player of the Year, Abdelkarim Hassan. In the team’s recent run at the 2020 AFC Champions League, Afif, Bounedjah and Haydos were in the top eight scorers across the whole event.

The club is also home to up and coming star, Hashim Ali Abdullatif, hailed as one of the most promising talents of Qatari football. Having played for Qatar at the 2020 AFC U-23 Championships, he is also likely to make the national team in 2022.

The FIFA  World Cup 2022

In fact, a proportionally high number of Al Sadd's stars already play for the current Qatar National team. For the recent victory at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup Final, Haydos, Afif, Hassan and Sheeb, as well as teammates Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel and Tarek Salman were in the starting lineup against Japan.

All things being equal, those core players, plus numerous other Al Sadd first-team players, are expected to form the nucleus of the team for Qatar's 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign. Indeed, Haydos is the current captain of the national team and its most capped player with 132 appearances. Al Sadd's Abdelkarim Hassan follows with 97 caps for the team. Haydos is also the team's top goalscorer, with Boualem Khoukhi the third-highest scorer.

The current national team is regarded as one of the best-assembled in its history. And in 2022, for the first time in history, the Qatari team has a chance to shine on a global stage. Xavi will surely be rooting for a good result at the 2022 tournament not just for Qatar but also for Al Sadd. After all, the number of stand out Al Sadd players in the national team is undoubtedly a reflection of how successful the club is...and, for Xavi, there are plenty more Best Coach awards to win!