Pirlo Overrated? Pirlo is good like Zidane, Xavi a great passer in an area of 4 meters and nothing more. I think Xavi in another team would never be as good as Pirlo in Juventus, Xavi is a great player in the system of tiki taka, he dosen't have the Genius of Pirlo. Xavi is overrated not Pirlo
You simply forgot to mention that Barca and Spain's tiki taka system was built around him being the metronome, you can't build great sides around an "average" player as you're claiming he is. And that pass to Jordi Alba for the 1st goal in the EC12 final against Italy was way beyond 4meters though lol
while your point is correct but fact said otherwise ... in many games, without xavi (or even Iniesta or Messi) Barca still showed >70% possession with fluidity and won games with 3,4 goals margin ... so? Xavi is indeed a "very good to great" player = no more no less ... nothing ,.. "that SPECIAL" I agree with Scandeberg that "Xavi is overrated" just because Spain and Barca won almost trophies there is ... but he wwas not a "God" liek Pele of Santos or Maradona Naopli, or Zico with Udinese/Flamengo ..
I agree he is a lot overrated because of its trophies, but is not close to Pirlo. Pirlo can do everything he does Xavi, but Xavi can't do what he does Pirlo. The system tiki taka exists thanks to Messi, without Messi this system is much less effective. The truth is that before the explosion of Barcelona and Spain, Xavi was always been considered less than Pirlo. Xavi is a great player, but not have the talent of Pirlo. For me, Schools, Riquelme, Deco were more talented than Xavi. I'dont see nothing of special in Xavi.
Probably explains why Argentina is known as the best possession football NT... oh wait they aren't, Spain is. The Tiki taka ball possession system for Barca & for Spain was built around Xavi, while Messi is the one (for Barca) who's there to accelerate and finish the actions. Riquelme & Deco were technically better than Xavi but they also played more advanced role and they never had such a successful system built around them. Scholes was never better than Xavi IMO
But he was key in them winning many of those trophies because of the system built around him. Offcourse when he doesn't play, they'll still have more possession than the other teams because the system is already instiled deep in their dna at that point.
i feel like pirlo gets way too much praise because he jogs at a slow pace around the pitch and delivers some decent passes, and this makes it appear as though he's getting things done with style and panache. But in reality isnt contributing much and certainly not as much as xavi, eventhough xavi might be doing promarily 4 meter passes. Xavi dominates the midfield way more IMO
that's actually totally opposite in fact: Xavi was more overrated with his number of passing but no real value in winning! Let's take a quick look at the two at major competitions 1- WC: Pirlo WC06 1go+3ass/7games > Xavi WC2010 1ass/7games Pirlo direct assist in SF and Final game (all winning goal for Italy) >> Xavi only 1 ass at SF, nothing at final 2- EUro2012 Xavi 592passes > Pirlo 423 Xavi 25 > Pirlo 17 (chances creation) Xavi 2ass = Pirlo 2ass (bottom line they all had same assists)
Xavi got 6 players playing with him at Barca around ... Spain NT were indeed a 'better team" in quality to start with ... Pirlo was PROVEN from Milan to Juve, from Wc06 team to another Italy Euro2012 ...
He had the same players around him through out the tournament and still didn't shine until the finals where he really came alive (and maybe the 2nd half of the 1st game against Italy too). Pirlo actually had a better tournament than Xavi IMO, but Xavi simply outclassed him in that final
Xavi controls the midfield better though, a lot of times there is a player between him and the person scoring the goal. I'd like to see the number of pre-assists that xavi has. And as someone said before, Xavi completely outclassed him in the Euro finals
I said yes- but it was one single game where Italy lost control and tactics against Spain. Like if someone never watched Zidane with Real vs Barca 2006, but only at WC2006, he would QUICKLY CLAIM Zidane outclassed Roanldinho there? in other way around ronaldinho left Zidane in the dirt in El Classcio - SO? It's always easy when your team in sync and functioning ...
Good example with Zidane, now where is Pirlo's redemtion? The team being in sync and functioning is largely in part to xavi.
@JamesBH11, Xavi has been outperfoming Pirlo for quite a while in terms of direct confrontations. Maybe except the first match at Euro 2012. Look at these games in 2004... http://www.football-lineups.com/match/29273/ http://www.football-lineups.com/match/28933/
Italian players were not in a great physics condition, the final was a few days after the semifinal, which ended on penalties against England. Pirlo was better than Xavi in the first game against Spain. Italy, had in the final even 2 men injured. also there is no comparison between the quality of Italy and the spain. Pirlo played alongside Thiago Motta, Montolivo and De Rossi. Only De Rossi is close to the level of Xabi Alonso, Thiago Motta and Montolivo are 2 mediocre players. Xavi plays alongside, top players like David Silva, Iniesta, Xabi, Fabregas etc. Italy and Spain are in total different level, Italy without Pirlo is absolutely nothing, Spain without Xavi don't lose nothing, there are so many players who can replace. Maybe just Verratti can replace Pirlo (although I do not think), Spain has so many exceptional young players who can replace Xavi, like Isco, Thiago Alacantara, Koke etc.
Yet with Xavi's decline, both Spain and Barca have shown slowed down. Spain are even considered 4th favourites for this tournament, despite those other great players you mention.
Xavi=most overrated midfielder ever Xavi has a pass completion rate of I'd say 90%. But he only passes the ball most of the time a distance of about three to six foot. I challenge you to find a player who is better at playing a killer ball over the top than Pirlo. The man is a genius when it comes to that final pass. Xavi isn't even Barca's best midfield player. That laurel will always be Iniesta's Fabregas of Arsenal>>Xavi
in many aspects of the game Pirlo is better than Zidane, but there is no aspect in which Xavi is better than Zidane
You might not get my point earlier (between Zidane and Ronaldinho in 2006?) = IT"S EASIER to dominate when your team is better. Ronaldinho with Barca >>>> Zidane at Real. But at WC2006, Brazil team did NOT play for Ronnie, while France were built around Zidane and of course Zidane did outshine Ronnie there. Similarly, Xavi with the greatest ever Spain NT ever assembled team >>> Italy team of Pirlo. So it's EASIER for Xavi to outperform Pirlo there. (also Barca >> AC Milan surely) However that was just one or 2 games! I listed out their performance overall from WC to Euro, Pirlo was at least the same if not saying better in STATS.
that's a stretch .., I rate Zidane (Ronaldo Rivaldo Ronaldinho Messi ...) 1 level higher then Xavi , Iniesta Pirlo Ibra Robben Ribery (same level) Now between Xavi and Pirlo: - Pirlo is better FW/PK/ dribble and long cross - Xavi is better in close control, short passing, thru balls and distribution balls