On this week's Monday Rewind, I talk about the greatest international midfielder of his generation with Oisin Langan. You can listen in above or download the podcast via iTunes.
Probably the greatest tribute to Xavi has to be the fact that the drop in standards at Spain and Barcelona has coincided with his own physical decline.
At his peak, the Catalan metronome was the heart of the most successful international side in history and one of the greatest club sides we have ever witnessed.
But all good things must come to an end. While, the World Cup winner and two-time European champion will remain at Barcelona for now - the only club he has represented - he now departs the international scene at the age of 34, having delivered the goods in a relentless fashion which has lived up to his nickname of Maki (short for Maquina which is Spanish for machine).
Xavi's game was not about goals - he only scored 13 times in 133 internationals - but about relentless control and domination of the ball, as well as supreme technical skills and the ability to unlock a defence with a inch-perfect through ball.
While those moments can often be lost to the mind's eye as time passes, here's a few reminders why Xavi is the greatest international midfielder of his generation, starting with his goal against Russia in the Euro 2008 semi-final:
In the final, it was Xavi's pinpoint through ball which set Fernando Torres free for the only goal against Germany, thereby liberating Spanish football with a first senior international trophy since the 1960s:
Yes, Spain took on a tired Italy in the Euro 2012 final but that should not take away from Xavi's two assists in that match - moments which punctuated another impressive display.
Those two assists make him the only player to have provided assists in two European Championship finals.
In a symbolic sense, Xavi's friendship with Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas shows how the hard work at youth level paid off, bringing a unity of purpose beyond the traditional El Clasico divide.
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