Xavi left Barcelona at the end of last season having won more trophies than any other Spanish footballer in history. He could have retired as a one-club legend and gone out with a treble-winning season, but he chose to follow the money to Qatar and join Al Sadd on a multi-year deal.
Tag: Al Sadd
Xavi gets underwhelming reception at Qatar airport
Wasting no time after Barcelona’s treble celebrations, Xavi has already arrived in Doha for his presentation as an Al-Sadd player on Thursday. Normally when a player of Xavi’s caliber moves to a place unaccustomed to hosting superstars, there’s an untamable mob of giddy fans filling an airport terminal beyond capacity. But this is World Cup 2022 host nation Qatar.
Though there were some fans and club officials awaiting his arrival, it was all very orderly and far from overwhelming. Which is probably a sensation he should get used to over the next two years since Al Sadd have an average attendance of about 6,000.
Xavi’s letter to Qatar: A formal announcement of his impending arrival
Xavi has announced that he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season and join Qatari club Al-Sadd on a two-year contract. The end of Xavi’s extraordinary 24 years with Barca, from La Masia to winning 23 trophies with the first team, will be an emotional one. But he’s looking forward to his new adventure in Qatar — not only on the pitch, but in his new position with the Aspire Academy and as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup.
This is Xavi’s letter to the people of his new home…