There was a saying that Pep Guardiola’s philosophy would never have been successful if there was no Xavi Hernandez. Xavi wasn’t just the most important tool of Guardiola, but the representation of the whole philosophy. Critics were of the opinion that Xavi’s retirement would collapse the whole ‘Tiki Taka’ system of the Catalans.
And, the day finally came when Xavi decided to leave his childhood club and try his luck in Qatar. The whole world saw the emptiness in Barcelona’s midfield that ruled over the past decade.
Meanwhile, the club officials had their eyes set on another maestro who was leading the Sevilla midfield, namely Ivan Rakitic. Barcelona wasted no time to sign the Croatian star and he was tagged as the possible replacement of the Xavi Hernandez.
And since then, Rakitic went on to become one of the most consistent starters of the new Barcelona under Luis Enrique. But is it enough to prove that Ivan Rakitic has replaced Xavi Hernandez in the Barcelona’s heart?
Rakitic is a box to box midfielder while Xavi was a deep lying playmaker
There’s a big difference between Rakitic’s and Xavi’s style of the play. While their playing position may appear to be same, yet their traits are pretty much different from each other.
Xavi Hernandez, by definition and application, was a playmaker. Operating in the deeper zone of the central midfield, he was responsible for setting the tempo of the Catalan artistry. He was the controller of the dominating midfield and the officer of keeping possession of the ball.
Xavi was all about the two P’s- Positioning and Passing. His de facto move was the art of short passes while waiting for the correct moment to launch the best possible defense splitting pass.
On the other hand, Ivan Rakitic is the modern breed of a box to box midfielder. His tireless presence in the center of the Barca lineup helps in many aspects. Rakitic is a supporting system of Barcelona, in both attack and defense. He supports Busquets in the midfield blocking job, while playing alongside Iniesta, Messi, Suarez and Neymar in attack.
He is an all in one midfield package, something that the modern generation managers want. Rakitic brings directness in Barcelona’s play. His diagonal and long passes have helped Barcelona to crack many defenses, especially against teams which follow the ‘park the bus’ theory.
Rakitic is a scorer, unlike Xavi Hernandez who was a creator
Another significant point of their difference is that Rakitic is an improved scorer, unlike Xavi Hernandez whose sole purpose was to create the space and pass for Messi or Villa to score.
Whether netting the ball from an Iniesta pass in the Champions League final or shooting venomous volleys, Rakitic has shown that he his a goal scoring threat, more often than not. Adding to the fact, Rakitic’s good physicality and temperament help him to be present at the right time in the penalty box.
On the other hand, Xavi has always been the architect in the midfield. His passing, creating space and assisting were the major areas of his expertise. He had a knack for finding his teammates in the right place. His extraordinary vision and intelligence would find an unpredictable pass, leaving his teammate with no other option but to score.
Xavi, in his heydays, was confined up to certain areas of the pitch. He was a player who used to position himself at the edge of the penalty box while trying the find the killer pass. But his major weakness was to never penetrate the D-box, which often meant that Barcelona found it difficult to score, keeping aside the genius of Lionel Messi.
But Rakitic’s beauty lies in this aspect. He covers more area of the pitch, from one penalty box to another, from defense to offense. The overlapping of Dani Alves on the right flank used to leave a lot of free space which Xavi wasn’t able to cover up. But Rakitic showed his great defensive prowess by covering that area and shattering the opposition wingers.
So, considering the aforementioned points, it is found that the two midfield dynamos are completely different from each other. Whether attacking or defending, both Xavi and Rakitic have shown uniqueness on the pitch. While it is a tough job to carry on the legacy of Xavi Hernandez but Ivan Rakitic has shown his great aesthetic abilities in the new generation Barcelona.
What if he is defining the new generation of Barcelona’s midfield greatness in his own style?
