Club legend twice rejected offers but finally he is coming back as a defender of the faith and symbol of hope for the future
On Xavi Hernández’s last night as a Barcelona player, he walked out of the Olimpiastadion in Berlin carrying the European Cup in his right hand. It was the 25th trophy he had won with the club and it was over, but only for a little while. He had arrived aged 12 from Terrassa, where the square he played in now has a sign up banning football, and although he was leaving 23 years on he was already planning his return, eventually made on Friday.
At Xavi’s farewell, Andrés Iniesta gave a speech in which he thanked him for “everything you have given this club … and everything you have left to give”. After all, Iniesta said: “Those of us who know you know you’ll be back.” Xavi too was clear: “My objective is to return to this ‘house’, as coach or sporting director. I hope this isn’t a goodbye but a ‘see you later’.” Six years later, as it turned out.