By Kris Voakes

Xavi rightly leaves Barcelona with people bandying about titles such as ‘legend’ and ‘all-time great’. His impact on the club
cannot be questioned, while he similarly impacted Spain during one of the most successful periods ever enjoyed in
international football.

But on Saturday he comes up against a man every bit as worthy of such platitudes.
Andrea Pirlo has been to more than one club what Xavi has been to Barcelona. Like Xavi, he has also had a significant impact
at international level, playing a key role in Italy’s 2006 World Cup win and providing the heartbeat of the Azzurri side ever
since. Like so many comparisons, this is one which cannot be measured by winners’ medals alone.

While Pirlo has worked with a string of star performers during his career, he hasn’t been granted anything like the stability
enjoyed by Xavi. Turfed out by Inter when they couldn’t get the best from him, he was reborn as a deep-lying playmaker at
Milan. Then when Massimiliano Allegri got shot of him despite his immense record with the Rossoneri, he arrived at Juventus
and transformed their fortunes almost single-handedly.

The Italian has been a more direct influence on sides over a greater period of time. When a game needed somebody to take a
real stranglehold on proceedings, he never shirked the responsibility. So often, he made it known that he felt the need to be
the dominant personality in the game, gliding gracefully around all parts of the pitch, showing for the ball and looking for the
key pass at every turn.

His set-piece quality is something to behold, and if you have sat behind the path of a Pirlo arrow heading for the net then you
have experienced one of the greatest joys football can provide. Xavi might have laid many a platform for victory, but Pirlo was
more often the match-winner.

He found more ways to influence a game, and had more to say in key moments.
At his best, Pirlo was the closest football gets to perfection.



By Ben Hayward

Long before the emergence of Neymar and Luis Suarez alongside Lionel Messi in Barcelona's brilliant forward line, the club's
success was built on probably the greatest midfield football has ever seen. And it was led wonderfully by one man: Xavi.

When he made his debut for the Catalan club in 1998, Xavi was under incredible pressure as he was dubbed as a long-term
replacement for captain Pep Guardiola. Such was the burden that the younger man felt, that he almost left Camp Nou
altogether. Instead, however, he stayed, eclipsed his illustrious former team-mate and became the fulcrum of the greatest
Barca and Spain sides in history. If one man symbolises the Tiki Taka style employed by both the Blaugrana and La Roja
between 2008 and 2014, it is Xavi.

No player makes more passes in a game than the Catalan midfielder. While Andrea Pirlo's impact is intermittent, Xavi's
influence is constant: he is always there, making things tick, passing, pressing and controlling his team's possession philosophy
- and he did it better than anyone else for so many years.

His excellence cannot be measured in goals or even assists. Xavi is all about ball control and recycling possession, almost
always giving his team-mate a better option than the one he had himself.

He made what was hugely complicated appear
effortlessly easy - and Barca have had to change their style in 2014-15 as he reaches the twilight of a wonderful playing career
at this level.

But he has remained important and in his last appearance at Camp Nou, Xavi claimed his 24th trophy for the Catalan club. No
player has won more in the history of Spanish football and while Messi has obviously been key in Barca's spectacular success in
recent years, Xavi was equally important for a number of seasons.
Not many players can say they have helped change the history of both their club and country on a football field, but Xavi can
and he is probably the greatest midfielder the game has ever seen.

Pirlo.... one million times....

Only reason the world knew Xavi was cos of Messi...

I give it to Baba Pirlo, its a tight one though

Pirlo:::::::any tym any day::::

hmmm......pirlo na confirm player..I remember his days at ac Milan with the likes of dida, nesta, maldini, cafu, seedorf, inzaghi, gattuso, rui Costa, kaladze, ambrosini, kaka,........I respect pirlo

It is a tight one but i gave it to XAVI.

I like Pirlo....but I'll choose Xavi over him....

iPopAlomo:
Pirlo.... one million times....


Only reason the world knew Xavi was cos of Messi...

Hehehe you don't know the game called football

WhO remembers pirlo's pk against england during eur0 '12?

jkross:
Hehehe you don't know the game called football

And it is you that know... All these barca fans sef...

Xavi had Ronaldinho,messi and iniesta... Do the maths

pirlo>>xavi by slight margin

-barca fan.