Xavi plays down golden ball prospect

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has ruled himself out of contention for winning the European player of the year award.

كتب : Amro Hassan

الثلاثاء، 07 أكتوبر 2008 - 15:07
Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has ruled himself out of contention for winning the European player of the year award.

Xavi was an integral part of Spain's EURO 2008 winning squad in the summer, and his performances earned him a nomination among the continent's best.

"I don’t think I deserve the golden ball. I'm more of a collective player than an outstanding individual," Xavi was quoted as saying by Marca on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old added that such prestigious honor should be given to star players with exceptional talent.

"This award should be given to someone like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, these players can turn around games on their own," added Xavi.

Despite not bothering with winning Europe's best player award, Xavi said he's delight that finally a Spanish player is linked with the trophy.

"At least there's a Spaniard in the contention. We've deserved that after being crowned as European champions."