Barça Lover

With 548 appearances, Xavi is just one game away from equalling Migueli’s club record, something he could do if he plays on Sunday against Llevant.

Migueli played for 16 seasons at the Club and his record of 549 games has held for the last 21 years, but this weekend, the Catalan midfielder will catch up with him, if he plays against Llevant. After 12 years in the top flight, through good times and bad, but always loyal to the colours, Xavi is about to write his name in the Club’s history.

Migueli’s debut

Migueli made his debut in pretty strange circumstances under Rinus Michels in 1973, whilst he was doing his military service and in an interview for the Revista Barça he recalled: “I was doing my military service and and I had a month’s permit, but I didn’t know that in order to play, I should have asked for another – I was two months in the cells after that!”

Club Men

Xavi had his first game for the Club under Louis Van Gaal in 1998. The game was at the Lluís Sitjar, in Mallorca, in the Spanish Super Cup and with Celades and Guardiola both injured, Xavi was brought in to start a fantastic career. For the World Cup Winning midfielder, the support of the fans and the technical staff have been key, but most of all, he reckons: “I’ve been lucky enough to participate and at a club I love!”

Both Xavi and Migueli are Barça men through and through and have shown they are willing to meet any demands on them to help the team: Migueli played through the Basle Cup Winners Cup Final with a broken collar bone and Xavi has been training hard to get over the painful Achilles tendon injury that he’s been suffering with for a while now.

Xavi wants to play out his career at Nou Camp

Migueli hung up his boots at the age of 38 and Xavi, who is 31 in January is keen to play out his career at the Nou Camp too: “I’d love to finish my playing days here and with the team winning things, but that’s not in my hands alone I’m afraid”. Whatever happens, Xavi is sure to go down in the Club’s history as an exemplary servant, something that will be confirmed if he makes it 549 games in the team’s colours this Sunday.

Leading appearances at the Club

Migueli : 549
Xavi: 548
Puyol: 506
Rexach: 449
Amor: 421
Zubizarreta: 410
Segarra: 402
Alexanko: 400
Rifé: 397
Asensi: 394

With 548 appearances, Xavi is just one game away from equalling Migueli’s club record, something he could do if he plays on Sunday against Llevant.

Migueli played for 16 seasons at the Club and his record of 549 games has held for the last 21 years, but this weekend, the Catalan midfielder will catch up with him, if he plays against Llevant. After 12 years in the top flight, through good times and bad, but always loyal to the colours, Xavi is about to write his name in the Club’s history.

Migueli’s debut

Migueli made his debut in pretty strange circumstances under Rinus Michels in 1973, whilst he was doing his military service and in an interview for the Revista Barça he recalled: “I was doing my military service and and I had a month’s permit, but I didn’t know that in order to play, I should have asked for another – I was two months in the cells after that!”

Club Men

Xavi had his first game for the Club under Louis Van Gaal in 1998. The game was at the Lluís Sitjar, in Mallorca, in the Spanish Super Cup and with Celades and Guardiola both injured, Xavi was brought in to start a fantastic career. For the World Cup Winning midfielder, the support of the fans and the technical staff have been key, but most of all, he reckons: “I’ve been lucky enough to participate and at a club I love!”

Both Xavi and Migueli are Barça men through and through and have shown they are willing to meet any demands on them to help the team: Migueli played through the Basle Cup Winners Cup Final with a broken collar bone and Xavi has been training hard to get over the painful Achilles tendon injury that he’s been suffering with for a while now.

Xavi wants to play out his career at Nou Camp

Migueli hung up his boots at the age of 38 and Xavi, who is 31 in January is keen to play out his career at the Nou Camp too: “I’d love to finish my playing days here and with the team winning things, but that’s not in my hands alone I’m afraid”. Whatever happens, Xavi is sure to go down in the Club’s history as an exemplary servant, something that will be confirmed if he makes it 549 games in the team’s colours this Sunday.

Leading appearances at the Club

Migueli : 549
Xavi: 548
Puyol: 506
Rexach: 449
Amor: 421
Zubizarreta: 410
Segarra: 402
Alexanko: 400
Rifé: 397
Asensi: 394

“The team won’t let anybody down”

Andrés Iniesta refused to promise titles for the new year, but he did insist that the team would be giving everything to win all the competitions Barça are contending, as well as expressing his satisfaction at making the final of the Balon De Oro.

In the last press conference of 2010 at the Club, Andres Iniesta – one of the figures of the year for his fantastic play with Barça and his World Cup winning goal – promised the fans: “we are really motivated to begin the year well, but there is a hard 2011 ahead of us. We can’t guarantee titles or even that we will repeat the successes of 2010, but I can assure you that we will be doing our very best to get to the end of this season with our chances still intact to win everything .I am certain that the team won’t let anybody down”.

Iniesta is hoping for: “the best possible 2011. I hope the good things continue, I enjoy new sensations and I stay fit enough to train and play well. The last 12 months have been a time to get back to normal after my injuries”.

Kick off against Llevant

Barça kick off 2011 against Llevant at the Nou Camp and Iniesta insisted: “we have to continue where we left off before the break. We put in some great games, including the win over Madrid which everyone will remember us for”.

Iniesta also publically welcomed Ibrahim Afellay: “he’ll be an important player for us, he’s got a lot of talent, quality and he’s got a lot going for him. We’ll try and help him settle in as quickly as possible”.

Balon De Oro

Andrés Iniesta is one of the three finalists for FIFA’s Player of the Year Award, alongside Messi and Xavi and he believes: “being in the final three is a great thing and sharing that with Leo and Xavi makes it even better for us and for the Club as a whole. If I win – well it’s something I would never have imagined, getting to the final is fantastic, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to win!”

“The team won’t let anybody down”

Andrés Iniesta refused to promise titles for the new year, but he did insist that the team would be giving everything to win all the competitions Barça are contending, as well as expressing his satisfaction at making the final of the Balon De Oro.

In the last press conference of 2010 at the Club, Andres Iniesta – one of the figures of the year for his fantastic play with Barça and his World Cup winning goal – promised the fans: “we are really motivated to begin the year well, but there is a hard 2011 ahead of us. We can’t guarantee titles or even that we will repeat the successes of 2010, but I can assure you that we will be doing our very best to get to the end of this season with our chances still intact to win everything .I am certain that the team won’t let anybody down”.

Iniesta is hoping for: “the best possible 2011. I hope the good things continue, I enjoy new sensations and I stay fit enough to train and play well. The last 12 months have been a time to get back to normal after my injuries”.

Kick off against Llevant

Barça kick off 2011 against Llevant at the Nou Camp and Iniesta insisted: “we have to continue where we left off before the break. We put in some great games, including the win over Madrid which everyone will remember us for”.

Iniesta also publically welcomed Ibrahim Afellay: “he’ll be an important player for us, he’s got a lot of talent, quality and he’s got a lot going for him. We’ll try and help him settle in as quickly as possible”.

Balon De Oro

Andrés Iniesta is one of the three finalists for FIFA’s Player of the Year Award, alongside Messi and Xavi and he believes: “being in the final three is a great thing and sharing that with Leo and Xavi makes it even better for us and for the Club as a whole. If I win – well it’s something I would never have imagined, getting to the final is fantastic, but I can’t imagine what it would be like to win!”