The clásico could be Xavi's 600th game for Barça.

The midfielder made his debut for the first team and scored his first goal on August 18, 1998, during the the Spanish Super Cup in Mallorca.


Since then he’s played in 397 League matches, 121 Champions League matches, 13 UEFA Cup matches, 10 Spanish Super Cups matches, 3 European Super Cups matches, and 4 Club World Cup matches.


Xavi holds the record for most games played for the Club and most titles won (18)


During the post-training press conferenceXavi Hernández said that “going to Madrid and winning is a pleasure.” Beyond the “footballing pleasure” that is winning at theBernabéu, Barça’s master midfielder is about to cross an important threshold in this career: if he plays in what would be his 13th clásico, he will reach 600 official games with FC Barcelona.


This is Xavi’s 14th season with Barça. He made his debut in the Spanish Super Cup in 1998 thanks to Louis van Gaal, since then he’s been a permanent fixture in Barça’s midfield with Serra Ferrer, Antic, Rexach,Rijkaard and Guardiola. Barça’s vice-captain reached 300 official games as an Azulgrana player when he was 25 years old. Now, at 31, he’s about to reach 600.


63 scored goals


In Xavi’s 599 official games for the team he has scored a total of 63 goals. 42 of which came in the League, 10 in the Champions League, 7 in the King’s Cup, 3 in the Spanish Super Cup and 1 in the UEFA Cup. The only competitions that Xavi has not scored in are the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.


The record holder


Xavi Hernández, who started playing for the Club in 1991, is one of the team's active players that holds most of the Club’s individual records. Since January 2nd, 2011, after beating Migueli’s long-standing record, Xavi is the player with the most games for FC Barcelona. He's also won the most League titles (6), tied with Ramallets andGuardiola. But now Xavi stands alone at the top of a long list of fantastic players that have donned the Barça shirt as the player with the most titles won for his Club, 18.

Titles and honours

With FC Barcelona:

- 3 Champions Leagues

- 6 Ligas

- 1 King's Cup

- 2 European Super Cups

- 5 Spanish Super Cups

- 1 Club World Cup

With Spain's National Team:

- 1 World Cup

- 1 Euro Cup

Individual honours:

- Best player of the Euro Cup 2008

- Third consecutive year as finalist for the FIFA Ballon d'Or

Article source - www.fcbarcelona.com

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Gerard Piqué - The perfect defender.

2nd February 1987, Barcelona saw the birth of Gerard Piqué Bernabeu, when he also became an official club member, from an early age Piqué was a talented football player and at the age of just 10 he joined his beloved Barcelona signing for the club's youngest youth team Alevin B.

Piqué soon started to make a name for himself due to the adaptability of his play being able to sit comfortable in various positions while having a real range for hitting the back of the net.

But at the end of the 2003/2004 season, like his best friend at the club Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas, Piqué saw himself leave before signing a professional contract with the club and moved to England under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Piqué made his debut for the English club in 2004 in a League Cup win, where he played centre back for the club, he made a full debut for United when he played this time at right back at Old Trafford, Piqué played well for United at this stage in his footballing career where he learnt from Rio Ferdinand one of the country’s best centre backs at the time. Piqué impressed Sir Alex enough to sign him to a full contact in 2005 and he later went on loan to Spanish La Liga side Real Zaragoza, where he played most of the time as a holding midfielder showing the adaptability of his youth. Pique showed some real class in his 22 games for the Spainsh side before he returned to Old Trafford for more talks with the management, Pique made a total of 12 appearances for the English side before his beloved Barca came knocking in the summer 2008.

On May 27th 2008, Gerard Piqué signed a 4 year contract after Barca paid a fee of just €5m though raising to €11.5m after clause's, Piqué wasn’t seen as a starter and some fans where questioning the signing of the ex Cantera graduate having seen him frozen out at Old Trafford.

Since Piqué’s return to his childhood side he has become arguably the best centre back in the world, his Franz Beckenbauer ways started to gain him some real exposure and the German himself has labelled him one of the world best.

Piqué settled into a new Barca side very well, forming a future World Cup Winning partnership with fellow Catalan Carles Puyol
And he was later dubbed Piquénbauer due to his excellent ability on the ball and to build an attack from the back while also having the presence of scoring at vital times, Piqué’s presence on the ball and his passing , vision and ability is becoming world class to say the least.

Piqué won his first La Liga title in his very first year and even impressed in the 6-2 win at the Bernabeu scoring the 6th having started the attack from deep in his own half, Piqué has looked a real bargain after winning his 2nd La Liga title in his second season with the club while also picking up winners medals in the Champions League, Spainsh Super Cup x 2, European Super Cup, World Club Cup while also winning the Fifa World Cup in 2010 with Spain.

Piqué has fast become the perfect defender, his adaptability at various times is outstanding, though mainly used as a centre back for Barca he could and can slot into a number of positions when needed, seen as a future captain in the making, Piqué has started to lead his side onto glory in the club's greatest and most successful era.

Having learnt from Carles Puyol on and off the pitch, Piqué’s is going from strength to strength, the clubs future is and should be based around him having settled well into life at the biggest club side in the world, Piqué’s work rate, strength and tactical ability is second to none and is seen as the last man at times saving the side when needed, but also seems to be the first to start a new attack and at times follow into the heart of the opposites midfield and defence to cause more problems.

Piqué was voted in the 2010 world team of the year and now looks to help his beloved Barca win its 3rd league title in a row and even its 4th ever Champions League trophy, But the question still remains will Piqué be able to link up with his best friend and fellow World Cup Winner, Cesc Fabregas, Piqué has commented several times that he wants his friend at the Camp Nou and this looks to be a real possiblilty but first he and Barca must defeat Cesc and his Arsenal in the first knockout rounds of the 2010/2011 Champions League.

Gerard Piqué Bernabeu the world best centre back? Well at just €5m you can’t say the club haven’t got their money’s worth on their future Captain.

GRWFCB PRESENTS HIS UEFA 2011 TEAM OF THE YEAR.

FULL ARTICLE ... COMING SOON.