It was the last service to his club of 17 years when Xavi Hernandez lifted the Champions League trophy in Berlin – the 25th trophy of an incomparable club career. Just a few days later, on the cooled pitch of Al Sadd Club in Qatar, the midfielder many consider Spain’s greatest ever pulled on the shirt of just the second club of his career.
After signing numerous shirts for the wide-eyed youngsters who came to greet him, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner took time to sit down with www.sc.qa for an in-depth chat about his treble-winning exploits with Barcelona and how they compared to the Catalan side’s last such feat in 2009, his new club in Qatar, and how he wants to help the development of Qatari football.   

Q. Xavi, according to your biographer this was the first official presentation of your life. How did it feel to hold up a new shirt?
A. It was something new for me because I’ve never had to do one before. I had one on a much smaller scale when I was 11 years old when I came to Barcelona, but never something like this. The way I was received in Qatar has been marvellous. I am very grateful to Al Sadd, to the children who welcomed me here today, and the fanatic football fans in this country who behaved so well towards me.

Q. Were you nervous today as you walked into the press conference?
A. Well at the start I was a bit tense because it was a new situation, but then it was fine because I have a lot of experience talking to the press.

Q. Was this the perfect time for you to leave the club where you have spent your entire career?
A. Last year my mother and my friends insisted that I should stay one more year, and look at the difference it has made. I am happy that I was able to witness all that I did this year, with the treble and everything around it. It has been a real dream farewell.

Q. FC Barcelona became the first club to repeat a clean sweep of all trophies, and you were a central part of both of these teams. Which treble was the more satisfying – 2009 or 2015?
A. Both, of course both. This one was a mixture of excitement, happiness and nostalgia; because I already knew that it would be the last game that I would play for Barcelona. I wanted to make sure to say farewell in the best possible way, and this was a script which could not have been written better. Both trebles have been incredible; we thought that it would not be possible to repeat the treble again but by circumstances of football and with this outstanding team that we have we were able to do it again. So I am proud to have been part of both.

Q. What was it that informed your decision to come here to play in Qatar?
A. It is an ideal project for me. The three different components came together perfectly for my family and me. For one there is the possibility here at Al Sadd to continue winning trophies, to try and do our best to win the league and the cup and compete well in the Asian Champions League. Then there is the fantastic project at Aspire where my professional formation will continue, and finally to be an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is something that is very exciting. The team will keep getting more competitive and I am very proud to be here. In the future I’d like to do my coaching license as well as that of sporting director.

Q. Have you already had the chance to see much of the city?
A. It has surprised me positively. There are things to do all the time and the people have welcomed me with a lot of passion. I can only talk marvels of this country, which has placed a big focus on sports. For me it is a great place to be and to develop further in the long term with the sights set on the World Cup in 2022.

Q. Do you feel like you can help to develop the football culture in Qatar even further ahead of that tournament?
A. I want to bring all of my experience from Barcelona to Qatar, and I see that there are already teams here who like to play our style of football. I know that Al Sadd and the coach here play the style which we have played with Barcelona and with the Spanish national team over the past decade, so I come with the knowledge that I will be able to contribute my things. I have seen games of Al Sadd and they attempt to keep the ball, and play in a style similar to what I am used to.

Q. Do you think Qatar’s national team will also be looking to play the possession-style which Spain and Barcelona have pioneered over the past decade?
A. I think so, that is the idea of Qatari football. They are looking to immerse themselves in the culture of Barcelona and Spain, which has had so many successes on the world stage in recent years. They want to compete well and to reach the World Cup in 2022 with the most competitive team possible.

Q. What do you see as the main advantages of the tournament?
A. Previously we had to travel to matches the day before. Here the fact that you don’t have to travel long distances is an advantage. I also think that playing in November and December will allow players to reach the tournament in the best possible conditions. There are also stadiums already employing air-conditioning, so I think the conditions are here to make this World Cup a great success. It will be a benefit for the football players.

Q. You lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the first tournament on the African continent. What do you think you can do to inspire the youngsters of the region ahead of the first edition in the Middle East?   
A. I would like to bring all my experience in Barcelona, all of the values which I learnt in La Masia: sacrifice, hard work, humility, all of what I learnt I want to transmit here. I also want to immerse myself in this wonderful culture and with all the humility in the world I want to contribute my part from what I have learnt in Barcelona.

Q. Finally, great FC Barcelona shirt numbers have been passed down the generations. Who do you see as your natural successor for the number 6 shirt?
A. I don’t know, really. Perhaps a new signing, because I imagine the others will not want to change the number.