Madrid: FC Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has made a passionate defence of his side's passing style of football as they prepare for the run-in to the end of the season. Barcelona are almost assured of winning Spain's BBVA Primera Liga thanks to an impressive 13-point lead over Real Madrid, but face a tough task in the Champions League, where they will meet last season's defeated finalists Bayern Munich in what is the Spanish side's sixth consecutive appearance in the semi-finals.
However, in an interview with UEFA, Xavi insisted that although winning was important, the way you win is perhaps even more so, reports Xinhua. "It's about playing well and then if you manage to win, even better," he said. "Barca always try to direct the game, they don't wait for the opposition but go out and attack, so people identify with the club. Barca fans would never understand if the team were not controlling or dominating a match. That's the way it has to be," he said.
Xavi is perhaps the architect of Barca's swift passing game, which has gained the nickname 'tiki-taka' and which often sees them dominate over 70 percent of possession in their matches. He broke into the first team as an 18-year-old and now at 33-year-old is still a fixture for both his club and for the Spanish national team.
"Football is played to win, but our satisfaction has to be double. Other teams win and are happy, but it's not the same.
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