Summary
Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets dominated football in the late 2000s.
The trio won three consecutive major international titles with Spain, and are widely regarded as the best midfield of all time.
Xavi once revealed that an iconic Manchester United player was just as good as them, and would have gotten more credit if he was Spanish.
Barcelona's treble-winning 2008-09 team is often considered the greatest club side of all time, as they won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.
Spain dominated football between 2008 and 2012. The Spanish national side achieved a historic three-peat of consecutive major international tournaments, being crowed European Champions in 2008 and 2012, either side of their success at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Legendary players like Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique weren't satisifed with only international success however. Barcelona won four La Liga titles in a five-year period between 2008 and 2013, while also wining the Champions League twice, in 2009 and 2011.
Barcelona's 2008-09 team in pictures
Central to both teams' greatness was the iconic midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets, which formed the model for how managers across the globe tried to build their midfields for years to come.
The elegance and playmaking of Iniesta combined with Xavi's control and tempo along with the security of Busquets, who was simulataneously suave and destructive, seemed virtually impossible to beat or replicate.
One of the only teams who gave Barca a run for their money during the late 2000's was Manchester United, led by one of the greatest managers of all time in Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Red Devils had won the Champions League title in the 2007-08 season, beating Chelsea in the final on penalties, and made their way to the last two again the following year, only to fall 2-0 to goals from Messi and Samuel Eto'o.
United's famous 'class of 92' were coming to the end of their period of dominance, and one of their greatest ever players, then 34 year-old Paul Scholes, was only able to play the final 15 minutes of the final as a substitute. That may have been a big let off for the Spanish giants, as Xavi once claimed Scholes was the best and most complete midfielder he has ever seen.
Xavi: Scholes was the best midfielder in the world
Speaking in 2011, Xavi heaped praise on Scholes, revealing the England international was on a par with the iconic Spain and Barcelona trio.
"In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything.
"He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more."
paul-scholes-man-utd
Paul Scholes Man Utd Career
Appearances 716
Goals 155
Assists 82
Yellow Cards 145
Red Cards 9
Major trophies 20
Scholes won 11 Premier League titles with Manchester United, and is widely regarded to be one of the best midfielders in Premier League history.
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Many have argued over the talent in midfield of England's 'golden generation', with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard and Chelsea goal machine Frank Lampard often put on a pedestal alongside Scholes. One thing is for sure though, there is only one of them who Xavi wanted alongside him in Catalonia.