Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China PR
Chinese Taipei
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Crimea
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
DR Congo
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
England
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
Gabon
Gambia
GDR
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Gozo
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong SAR
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
IR Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea Republic
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic
Lao PDR
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Northern Ireland
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Republic of Ireland
Réunion
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Martin
Samoa
San Marino
São Tomé e Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Shetland
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tahiti
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
TR Northern Cyprus
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uruguay
US Virgin Islands
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wales
Yemen
Zambia
Zanzibar
Zimbabwe
Back in 2008 when Spain started to play in that touch based style of football, the world was in awe for quite some time because since the 1970 Brazil there hadn't been a team that played with such an offensive prowess. Then the same kind of game translated to FC Barcelona, the main responsible for this is none other than Xavi Hernandez, who's playing style is the definitive creator of the Spanish tiki-taka, a style that was born with him and will die with him unless a player who is exactly like him appears in the world of football.
But having that style as your main base of football, doesn't mean that you are entitled to criticize other style which are also quite valid. Xavi Hernandez has never understood that there are many ways to play beautiful football, he has never understood that a more defensive approach is also a style that people tend to like quite a lot. Italy is the perfect example that a defensive more combative style, can become a thing of beauty or a work of art. During an interview with former player Jorge Valdano for beIN Sports, Xavi Hernandez let slip what he thinks the only valid football style is while criticizing Real Mardrid and Atletico for not playing like Barcelona.
Xavi was rough from the very start: "Real Madrid played like a small team in the Clasico at Camp Nou. A big team like Barcelona should not be playing like Atletico Madrid. Big teams like Barcelona and Madrid should always stick to their own style. You cannot start playing like Atletico. [Atletico coach Diego] Simeone perfectly sets his team up to counter their opponents' strengths, but I don't like to see teams who shut up shop at the back. Barcelona fans would not understand it if they were to change their style of play. They are used to it that Barcelona are in charge and create 15 to 20 chances per game. Barcelona's style is non-negotiable."
In his moment of brightness, he took some time to also defend Lionel Messi from all criticism: "Messi is a good person. He is always nice, he is honest and he does not cheat. He has never disrespected anyone on the pitch. His behavior is exemplary. He is a humble guy, who is very professional and hates to lose. He is the best player in the world in all aspects. I told him to get more involved and he now does it naturally. He is addicted to the ball. He is sad when he cannot play."
Photo credit: Getty Images
