Euro 2016 trophy presenter revealed
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) confirmed that midfielder Xavi Hernandez will be the one to present the Euro 2016 championship trophy to France or Portugal, after the final match in the early morning of July 11.
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| Xavi has been playing for Qatari club Al Saad since the summer of 2015, under a three-year contract. Photo: Marca |
This is the first time France and Portugal have met in the Euro final, to compete for the trophy named after Henri Delaunay – the founder of the tournament. In the 1984 and 2000 Euros, France defeated Portugal in the semi-finals and then won the championship. According to the announcement of the organizing committee, the person who will have the honor of presenting the trophy to the upcoming winning team is the once excellent Spanish midfielder Xavi Hernandez.
The 1980-born legend made 133 appearances for the national team between 2000 and 2014. He was instrumental in helping La Roja (Spain's nickname) win Euro 2008, 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. Xavi was honoured despite his Spain side's poor showing in France. They were eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy, ending their unbeaten run in the tournament since 2004.
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| Xavi has won all the titles in his career. |
Xavi was chosen because he left a deep mark in Europe's number one tournament. At Euro 2008, he only scored one goal but was voted the best player of that year. It was he who provided the decisive pass for Torres to score the only goal in the final against Germany. "We chose Xavi because he is a symbol of the Spanish style of play. He influenced the whole way of playing the team from ball control, passing...", said Andy Roxburg - head of UEFA's technical committee at that time.
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| Xavi controlled the pace of the game, forcing almost every ball through his feet. |
At Euro 2012, the midfielder, then playing for Barcelona, continued to shine. In the group stage match when Spain beat the Republic of Ireland 4-0, Xavi made 136 passes, completing 127 of them (94% success rate), more than any other player in Euro history. In the final match, when Spain beat Italy 4-0, he had two assists for teammates to score. Xavi became the first player to assist a goal in two Euro finals.
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| Xavi and his close teammate Iniesta. |
| Xavi (born January 25, 1980): He grew up in Barcelona's famous La Masia training academy. This player then played for Barcelona from 1998 to 2015, with the team winning 8 La Liga titles, 4 Champions Leagues, 2 European Super Cups, 2 FIFA Club World Cups... Overall, Xavi has won all the most prestigious club-level titles with Barca. At the national team, he won the Euro 2 times, and the World Cup 1 time. After the 2014 tournament in Brazil, he decided to leave La Roja to focus on his club. |
According to Zing.vn
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