DOHA — Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez was officially unveiled by Al-Sadd Thursday and said he was "proud" to now be playing for the Qatari side. Just five days after Barcelona's Champions League triumph against Juventus, which sealed a treble for the Spanish giant, Xavi was paraded at a packed press conference in Doha.
The midfielder has signed a two-year contract, which could be extended to three years, and will play and coach as well as be an ambassador for Qatar's troubled World Cup 2022 bid.
"I am very, very proud to be part and parcel of Al-Sadd Football Club," said the 35-year-old. "I hope I will be able to lift all titles with this very important club and continue with my achievements," he said.
"I would like to thank-Al Sadd Sports Club and all the Qatari people." Watched by family and friends during the press conference, Xavi was handed and wore a white Al-Sadd No. 6 shirt after spending more than 20 years in the famous colors of Barcelona.
His signing is arguably the biggest ever by a Qatari side.
Xavi, Barcelona's most decorated player of all time, was also one of the heroes of Spain's Euro and World Cup-winning squads.
He will also be remembered as a central figure of Barcelona's revolutionary 'tiki-taka' style of football, which relies on possession and passing, and helped the Catalan side to become arguably the dominant team in Europe in the first decade of the century.
He follows in the footsteps of other Spanish stars who have stayed in Qatar including Real Madrid forward Raul who played 39 games for Al-Sadd. Xavi said he would like to end his career in Qatar and then go onto coach. He did not rule out returning to Spain as a coach. "I would like to continue as a coach, after that I will see what happens."
He also defended his role as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup after the bidding process became engulfed by the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal. "There's no doubt it's an amazing project and all the Qatari people are working to achieve great results," he said.
His contract with the 2015 Spanish league champion runs until next year but the club had already made it clear that it would not stand in the way of his departure.
"Xavi has earned the right to decide his future," Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said in March when first asked about his the prospective move to Qatar.
Al-Sadd competed in the Club World Cup in 2011, finishing third after being knocked out by Barcelona in the semifinals.
It finished second in the recently finished Qatar Stars League season, behind champion Lekhwiya, managed by Michael Laudrup. — AP
