Xavi Hernandez has rated the late Luis Aragones as the greatest influence on his career, over even former Barcelona Coach Pep Guardiola.
The midfielder appeared on Spanish television and discussed a number of subjects, among them his experiences with the Spain squad.
“Aragones was the most influential person on my career, more even than Guardiola,” Xavi said, according to Marca.
“He gave me an impossible amount of confidence. He was a football person. In the Luis-Raul war there was a lot of suffering.”
Xavi also revealed his happiest time with La Roja wasn’t the World Cup win in 2010, but the European Championship victory two years earlier.
“That was the time I most enjoyed with the national team,” he confirmed.
“I was disappointed not to play against Chile [at this year’s World Cup]. The Coach asked me to stay two more years after Euro 2012 and to not play after the Netherlands game was a disappointment.
“And so I left the national team…”
