Del Bosque Praises Xavi

Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has launched the praise on midfielder Xavi, who announced his retirement from international football after more than a decade of trophies. The Barcelona midfielder has been an integral part of the Spanish success in the last six years. The national team has won the likes of the European Championship and the World Cup during this period after having previously gone 44 years without a major trophy. Much of the success has been down to the possession-based football that Spain been able to play due to the presence of players like Xavi.
Despite the game going towards the huge physical players in recent decades, Xavi once again showed that small players could still have impact on the game. His exceptional passing skills helped Barcelona and Spain retain the ball much better than the opposition. This has been crucial towards their success in the last six years. Xavi was the player of the tournament after the Euro 2008 where the domination of Spain started. He was less influential at the World Cup 2014 as the national team crashed out at the group stages.
It was largely seen as an end of an era for the national team. After the retirement of Xavi, it has truly become one.
"He's a player we appreciate on a personal and professional level. He's been a key player in the Spanish national team's game style and in all our triumphs. We will miss him both on and off the pitch. I would like to demonstrate my appreciation to a fantastic player. The national team loses a unique player [who is] difficult to replace. He is and will always be a very well appreciated player and person for the Federation, the technical staff and for me," said del Bosque after hearing the news of Xavi’s retirement.