The perfect Xavi Hernández replacement
Who is the perfect Xavi Hernández replacement? It’s the question on Catalan lips and microphones this week, and yet even if you did trust the current ‘leadership’ to get the right person through the door, the chances are, they won’t find anyone as good as Ivan Rakitić.
The Croatian midfielder is set to leave Sevilla for Al-Shabab before the end of the transfer window, having lost his place in the starting XI under Quique Sánchez Flores. Arriving in Spain almost 13 years ago to the day as an intriguing January signing for Los Nervionenses, he leaves 15 medals later, having been one of the key cogs in two of the 21st century’s most fearsome machines.
When he burst onto the scene, all flowing Balkan locks and stunning chest control, Rakitić was Sevilla’s number 10. He fell in love with the place, the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán fell in love with him, and he’d get married to his barista less than three years later in a horse and carriage. On the pitch, he was the belle of the ball though.
While he was busy working out how to convince Raquel Mauri to finally go out with him, he was inspiring Unai Emery’s Sevilla to the first of their three-peat Europa Leagues. When he bid farewell for €18m, the arrivals of Thomas Vermaelen, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and one Luis Suárez made much more noise on their way through the Camp Nou gates than he did.
Rakitić, as he would demonstrate time and again both for Barcelona and Croatia, was as technically gifted as his teammates, and yet had the humility to become the jack of all trades to to mop up after them. Lionel Messi drifting inside too much? Rakitić will be the extra man out wide to balance their shape. Sergio Busquets struggling to shut down two breaking midfielders on his own? Rakitić will be right there beside him. Andrés Iniesta no longer bursting into the box? Allow Ivan the terrific to thunder onto that ball, and burst the net.
Undoubtedly his greatest feat at Camp Nou was to allow Xavi to leave on a cloud. Awkward, tense and painful, Xavi’s benching and subsequent exit was a natural disaster that had been forecasted, as he and numerous other Barcelona greats would subsequently find. A more antagonistic man, a less conscientious worker, that change might have been the second rift to threaten Luis Enrique’s treble, but the current Barcelona coach lifted those trophies because the Croatian found reserves of everything his teammates lacked, whenever they lacked them. How could you begrudge him the baton?
He was the most faithful partner, and the healthiest relationship Barcelona could have had following Xavi and Iniesta. Too frequently generosity and consistency are cited as the death knell for romance, but to think that Rakitić lacked quality, handsome passes or imagination is to fall into the toxic temperament of the Barcelona media.
When he eventually returned to Sevilla, worn down by the Blaugrana and given precious little credit for it, he would lift a European trophy long before they will. Had Barcelona beaten Manchester United last year, then they would have found the impossible Europa League-powered Sevilla. Battle-hardened generals Fernando Reges and Rakitic were imperious, directing their troops at the Pizjuán on their way to what is probably their last Europa League title for some time too, barring more miracles.
Rakitić leaving is yet more evidence that Sevilla’s glorious era is also in the rear-view mirror. The 35-year-old, in true Croatian fashion, found deposits of energy that had no correspondence with the football rules that most players live by, pulling out dominant performances againt United, Juventus and Roma in the final. His play had lost of some of the thrill of his silken mullet number 10 days, but Sevilla called on all of his steely character.
With him and Suárez departing, that iconic Barcelona side already felt like they were in a colder, harsher world even with Jordi Alba, Messi, Gerard Piqué and Busquets still there. As Sevilla ready themselves to pay tribute to Rakitić, he’s probably closing the curtain on the best 15 years in their history too - at least for some time. Chronically under-appreciated, tirelessly committed to the collective, shed a tear, pour a glass, savour a bite, for the last of the Ivan Rakitić era.