Iniesta was a very good Barcelona player
Zizou is one of the greatest to ever play the game - eof
Zizou is one of the greatest to ever play the game - eof
Iniesta vs Zidane
- Thread starter TheNewEra
- Start date
There are some truly remarkable opinions in the thread but the most criminal one is that some people seem to seriously underestimate Xavi. Mind boggling.
Iniesta won everything club and country. Dominated euro 12. Hes an all time great no question.
It can comfortably out way the rest of the contributions if you aren't absolute boll***s for the rest of it.
Both great players, but I prefer Iniesta simply because of his consistency, longevity and trophies won. Zidane was a great player but slightly overrated after that 98 WC which saw him being elevated from great player to the best. People who say he was the best player of his era are joking I presume, R9 was. People seems to overrate players after a good international competition (=> Lukaku).
Not this nonsense again......
I firmly believe everyone outside of Greater Manchester is aware of this.
Xavi was better than Iniesta.
Xavi below Iniesta and ScholesI have heard it all now.
Don't get me started. Xavi was voted Spains best ever midfielder and won La Liga midfielder of the year 3 seasons running ahead of.......Iniesta on 2 separate occasions.
Dunno what season you were watching.
He did for Spain in Euro 2008 where he was the player of the tourney. much more impressive than what Scholes has done. United controlled game vs lower level EPL teams.
Only on the Caf.
He won team honors. His best individual acheivement is 2nd on Ballon d'or while Zidane won Ballon and 3 WOPTY.
A player who was never considered to the best in his generation is not an all time great imo.
feck the balon dor its a marketing sham. Zidane wouldnt win one in this era.
If Zidane was of this generation with Messi and Ronaldo I greatly doubt he would have done better than a second place as well.
Xavi is seriously overrated for me because he is often mentioned in the same tier as Zidane and Iniesta and I think he wasn’t that good. I think Xavi was Barcelona’s Roy Keane but not their Paul scholes
Then again we can’t know this. You’re probably right but we can’t compare because each era has its own challenges and circumstances. When you start comparing best of each eras and the variables involved it just gets too complicated like those Pele vs current greats arguments
Xavi was Barcelona’s Roy keane. I just...don’t
Not this nonsense again......
I firmly believe everyone outside of Greater Manchester is aware of this.
Don't get me started. Xavi was voted Spains best ever midfielder and won La Liga midfielder of the year 3 seasons running ahead of.......Iniesta on 2 separate occasions.
Dunno what season you were watching.
He did for Spain in Euro 2008 where he was the player of the tourney. much more impressive than what Scholes has done. United controlled game vs lower level EPL teams.
Only on the Caf.
quite simply the fact you reckon he played in a 2 for spain makes everything you say shite, go back and you will see he played with Senna and Iniesta in almost all the games. Messi won the best player at a major tournament as well despite being poor in most of it. so that don't fill be with any confidence that hes some sort of superstar. pretty sure Pep and Xavi, Messi have both said that at La Masia Scholes was mentioned all the time. quite simply if you put Scholes in that Barca side he would have had the same impact, if you put Xavi in a United side he wouldn't have had the same impact.
Xavi shits on Zidane
I think Zidane had a higher ceiling of the two. It was a level he usually only went to for the big games. Probably the best big game player of the last 25 years in fact. For what it's worth, neither were the best talents of their own generations in my opinion, with R9 being a better talent than Zidane, albeit unfulfilled to some extent and Iniesta was behind the likes of Xavi, Ronaldo and Messi.
It would be an insult however to say they were both anything other than world class players. I think Zidane will have the greater legacy of the two, but there isn't a great deal to choose between them ability wise.
It would be an insult however to say they were both anything other than world class players. I think Zidane will have the greater legacy of the two, but there isn't a great deal to choose between them ability wise.
Christ. Only on here is Scholes who barely got any votes by his peers in his prime to be better than Xavi.
Memory is hazy but I thought Spain played a 4-4-2 of sorts until David Villa got injured? Iniesta and Silva were on each flank with Senna and Xavi in the middle. Torres and Villa upfront.
Yeah sure..
Yea, Spain mostly lined up like that. Quite a tight midfield for control purposes, but it was that formation anyway.
Yeah, something like that. I'd have called it a 4-1-3-2 with Senna holding, Xavi buzzing around and in front of him, two wide midfielders playing quite narrow and then a clear front two of Villa and Torres.
Iniesta was an incredible big game player himself though. Scored the winning goal in a world cup final in extra time, man of the match performance in another big final (Euro 2012) and there was that late goal in the CL semi-final against Chelsea in 2009 that took Barça to the final. It doesn't get any bigger than those performances.
I think he's still the only player to be MOTM in a CL, Euros and WC final? Player of the tournament in those Euros too. Was unfortunately rather brilliant against us in the CL as well.
If Modric can do it, then why not Zidane? Zidane won it thrice but not consecutively cos there other top players around as well. He rose above the challenge presented by his peers
The game is more favorable to attackers now and doubt CR7 and Messi would have been as successful if they had played in the 90s as well.
I wonder if ludicrous Scholes comparisons will one day be recognised as an early warning sign of dementia.
Also MotM in two different cl finals. Possibly the best big game player ever
Of all the players mentioned over the last few pages;
1. Zidane
2. Xavi
3. Iniesta
4. Keane
5. Scholes
1. Zidane
2. Xavi
3. Iniesta
4. Keane
5. Scholes
This, Zidane is greatness personified.
Funny how Xavi became world class once Messi popped up. Was routinely criticised in Barcelona for never taking any risks and considered leaving due to it.
You must have missed him in Rijkaard's Barcelona from 2003 onwards. Prior to his ACL tear for my money it was clear that he is one of the best central midfielders in the world. He didn't quite reach the levels he later did under Guardiola, but then again the team did neither.
Did messi win the euros and world cup then. Funny how both Spain and barca dropped a level without him.
Zidane.
And M. Laudrup was better than Iniesta.
And M. Laudrup was better than Iniesta.
In his defense, Xavi was already a very good player during the 97-00 Van Gaal era in Barcelona, was one of the few beacons of light during Barça's Second Dark Ages (2000-2004) and was immense during the Liga Champions of 2004-2005. He suffered a major injury in 2005-2006 and when he came back Barça was in full Ronaldinho-Deco decadence (2007-2008). The rest, 2008-2015, is history.
It's not that Xavi was Gabri or Celades in 97-08 and suddenly he became Platini in June 2008...
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The mind boggles. No shade on Roy Keane of course.
In the semi final they started Xavi Iniesta, Senna, Senna andn Silva which was their preferred combo in the tournament. Torres and Villa both played mate. Iniesta played on the wing as did Silva. Both Torres and Villa started the games. it was 4-4-2 you comedian.
What's Messi got to do with this? Xavi was the key player in the team that won and was also in the team of the tournament.
Sure he would except Scholes is an inferior player to Xavi and has never domniated or orchestrated a tournament like Xavi did in 2008, or the CL final in 2009 or the final in 2011. What are Scholes' equivalent?
Well, I didn't say he wasn't. Will still take Zidane for such games though.
Correct - Xavi was about to leave Barca and even spoke to Pep about it in the summer when he took over Barca. Pep convinced Xavi to stay and he went on to have a great career. But up to then, aged 28, he was not that highly rated.
I take the 'best Spanish midfielder' plaudits with a grain of salt. Pirlo was 'suddenly' discovered when he was 34 during the Euros (and Juve) despite having played at Brescia, Inter and Milan superbly.
Anyways, back to Xavi. He was a very good player, but one that never gave me a joy with his boring (but very proficient) tiki taka. Zidane first, and Iniesta second did much more to excite me on the football pitch.
He was to France what Bobby Charlton was to England. Wish we'd have bought him when we had the chance.
Dafuq are you talking about? Making pretty triangles in midfield when Messi (the greatest player in the world who requires typically two players on his own) drops back into midfield and creates a numerical superiority is not that hard. Messi was key in 2009 and 2011 that is absolutely clear.
As for internationals, in 2008, Xavi had one great game, the one against Russia. Senna was the key player for Spain. In 2006, he got taken to school by Zidane and co. In 2010, in the most boring, sterile domination, 1-0 after 1-0 - and Xavi was not the key player. In 2012 it was Iniesta's tournament.