Xavi Hernandez said goodbye to Barcelona on Saturday as Deportivo La Coruna fought back from two goals down to snatch a draw against Luis Enrique’s side to ensure they didn’t end the season waving goodbye to La Liga.
Lionel Messi had scored in each half to move Barca into what looked like a comfortable two-goal lead, but goals from Lucas Perez and Diogo Salomao helped the visiting side secure the point they needed, sending Eibar and Almeria down to La Segunda with Cordoba.
For Barcelona it didn’t matter too much. They had wrapped up the title against Atletico Madrid last week, but it would have been nice to finish the the season with three points – not least for Xavi’s sake.
No players have played more games for Barcelona; none have won more titles. This was Xavi’s 765th appearance for the club and at the end of the game he lifted his 23rd title as the Catalans celebrated being crowned champions of La Liga.
The 35-year-old could still have two more outings to come in a Barça shirt — he could still win two more trophies, too. He’s unlikely to start either, but he is likely to feature in the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals which are due to be played over the next two weekends.
However, this was his big send off. Next week’s Spanish cup final will be played at Camp Nou, but it’s classed as a neutral venue. If anything, there may even be more Athletic Bilbao fans.
Outside the ground before the game kicked off there were photo-booths, where fans queued up to be snapped in front of a background image celebrating Xavi’s 24 years at the club, 27 of which have been in the first team.
Inside the ground, his family were dressed up and given the full VIP treatment, while a giant banner was unfurled thanking him for his service to the club. Xavi looked up at it, a wry smile on his face, as he led the champions onto the pitch.
