Xavi and Pirlo: The two greatest proponents of two different styles

Andrea Pirlo and Xavi are two of the finest midfielders in the world of football

With every passing day, we inch closer to a magical night when two European titans will clash with all their might in order to claim European football’s biggest prize, the UEFA Champions League. This historic competition not only serves as a platform for football clubs from all across the European continent to assert their supremacy, but also to showcase their footballing culture and express their philosophies.

The two finalists this season, Juventus F.C. and F.C. Barcelona represent contrasting philosophies. While the Bianconeri has revived the old school Italian values of maintaining a solid defensive organization and launching vicious counter-attacks, the Blaugrana has evolved to meet the demands of the game and further perfected its Dutch-inspired philosophy of possession dominance and highly attacking football.

As Berlin will witness this classic ‘unstoppable force meets immovable object’ conflict come Saturday, two men, Xavi Hernandez and Andrea Pirlo will face each other for the very last time in their professional football careers.

Very few, if any, might argue that these two players are the finest midfielders their respective countries have ever produced. Both are technical masters and a reference point for all aspiring football players, no matter what position they play in.

The journalists have been quick to add the ‘Xavi vs Pirlo’ subplot in order to sensationalize the occasion of the final. However, it is ridiculous to compare the two as both are almost entirely flawless at what they do. A fan of the counter-attacking style of football may favor Pirlo while an admirer of the possession-oriented game may favor Xavi. Irrespective of this, one certainly cannot deny that each of the two has become synonymous with the distinct playing styles their teams represent.

Let’s take a look at how their style of play differs and how it generally impacts the game.

Xavi

If asked to imagine Xavi playing, a common visual would be that of a short figure hurriedly roaming around the pitch, looking busier than an ant, knocking the ball around, combining and communicating with almost every player on the field.

That is exactly what Xavi does for about 90% of the time that he is on the pitch. The ‘tiki taka’ philosophy demands possession dominance. When a team has possession, it can control the pace of the game and also prevent conceding since the opposition doesn’t have the ball.

Most of Xavi’s passes are horizontal or backward. However, each pass that Xavi makes contributes to the team’s game. One may wonder how can a horizontal or backward pass be productive.

With each pass, the opposition players are gradually pulled out of their position, leaving space behind them which can be exploited to devastating effects. The concentration level of an opposition player is stretched as much as possible and great efforts are taken in not drifting out of position and avoiding getting lured into chasing the ball.

However, this is almost impossible to achieve for a defending player which is why Barcelona always manages to create so many attacking chances. When sufficient space is created and an inroad towards the goal is made, Xavi is always the first to notice and he makes the incisive, vertical pass that directly leads to the goal or ‘makes the pass before the pass’ that kickstarts an attacking move.

However, this kind of play requires a tremendous amount of patience and involves a lot of short passes and small combinations among players. Also, defensively, Xavi’s contribution remains vital.

During the few times that the team loses possession, Xavi becomes a part of the first line of defence and looks to press the opposition as high up the pitch as possible. The idea is to win back possession in the opponent’s half itself, so that an attacking chance can be created in a minimal amount of passes, leaving almost no time for the opposition to track back and recover.

The idea of this kind of football is very simple but its execution is extremely difficult, just like Dutch legend Johann Cruyff once said, “ Football is a simple game, but it is difficult playing simple football.” Forget the numerous breath-taking assists, or the crucial match-winning goals, doing the simple things right over and over again throughout his extensive career is Xavi’s greatest accomplishment as a player.

Pirlo

To put it as simply as possible, Andrea Pirlo is poetry in motion. The Italian maestro is a viewer’s delight. Everything is stylish about Pirlo, right from his neatly combed hair and perfectly groomed beard, to every touch taken off the ball and every pass made.

Quite evidently, not everyone can be a Pirlo. At 36, he remains to be the heartbeat of his team, both at the club and national level. In fact, since the turn of the 21st century, Pirlo has always been the heartbeat of Italian football.

What makes him so special is the way he has embodied the ‘deep-lying playmaker’ position, known to Italians as the ‘regista’. Italians have always primed their focus on tactical soundness and aim to win half the battle on the drawing board.

One common feature in Italian tactics, especially in the modern game has been on the importance stressed on the role of the regista. As mentioned earlier, the Italian style of play prioritizes defending the goal over everything else.

The logic is not to concede and score at least one goal in order to ensure victory. It is a pragmatic style of play and is highly effective, if executed properly. As shown by Juventus this season under the leadership of Massimiliano Allegri, the players defend deep into their own half and launch attacks on the counter in a matter of a few passes.

It is when launching incisive attacks that Pirlo becomes extremely essential. He is the link through which the team shifts from defence to attack. Pirlo, much like his professional counterpart Xavi, is gifted with an incredible vision and is the first to see the pass that others cannot see.

Also, due to his high technical ability, he can release the ball as fast as possible when under pressure and complete passes with near-perfect accuracy. Unlike Xavi, most of Pirlo’s passes are always direct and forward.

Since, the transition from defence to offence is supposed to be lightening quick, building play from the back and linking up with multiple players is not an option. Pirlo makes decisions and executes them within seconds.

He is equally adept at making ground as well as aerial passes. Although, his ability to deliver inch perfect, vertical long balls that dip just at the right time and make it as easy for the receiver to control the ball as possible is something that has defined him as a player.

In a defensive sense, Pirlo’s role is also unconventional. A general idea of effective defending is winning hard tackles and physically competing with the attacking player. Pirlo is not a physically daunting player and requires the support of an effective defensive midfielder to support him.

His partnership with Gennaro Gattuso at AC Milan and the Italian national team was devastating to say the least. This does not mean that Pirlo does not carry out his defensive duties. He is excellent at closing out the spaces and reducing the passing options for the opposition.

Due to his excellent understanding of the game, he can read passes, intercept them and retain possession. This makes it that much easier for the defenders as they get sufficient breathing space.

Understanding Pirlo’s role is rather simple- close out the spaces, collect the ball, see the direct pass and make the pass. Quite obviously, this is easier said than done. Although, for the soft-spoken genius that is Andrea Pirlo, it seems like it is easier done than said.

Both, Xavi and Pirlo contribute differently to their respective teams. However, one common feature that both possess is the remarkable level of composure. They are always calm throughout the game, whether it is a friendly, or a cup final, be it the first minute or the last.

When the going gets tough, they are the ones the players look towards to find the motivation to overcome the situation. The ‘Xavi vs Pirlo’ angle may have become popular, but true admirers of the beautiful game must view it as a ‘Xavi and Pirlo’ spectacle where they might get to watch both magicians perform together, albeit on opposing sides, on the same pitch, one final time.