In football, the result is an impostor. You can do things really, really well but not win. There's something greater than the result, more lasting - a legacy.
Interpretation
Success in football isn't solely defined by winning; itβs about leaving a lasting legacy.
This quote from Xavi emphasizes that in football, like in many areas of life, achieving a result or winning is not the only measure of success. The more important aspect is the impact and legacy left behind, which can be felt long after the games have ended. It suggests that true accomplishment lies in the quality of one's contributions and the values upheld throughout one's journey, rather than merely tallying wins.
In practice
Mentioning this quote during a sports seminar to emphasize the importance of character and influence over winning.
In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen β the most complete β 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 doesnβt give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.
In futsal, you see whether a player is really talented. You notice the small details in quality, class and tactical understanding.
In England, footballers are respected more, the game is more noble, there's less cheating. Every Spaniard who goes loves it - and comes back a better player. If I had ever left, it would have been to England.
I spend the entire 90 minutes looking for space on the pitch. I'm always between the opposition's two holding midfielders and thinking, 'The defence is here, so I get the ball and I go there to where the space is.'
Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless.
If you are ambitious of climbing up to the difficult, and in a manner inaccessible, summit of the Temple of Fame, your surest way is to leave on one hand the narrow path of Poetry, and follow the narrower track of Knight-Errantry, which in a trice may raise you to an imperial throne.
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.
It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, comfortable restaurant, and they'll keep coming back.
I would love to have a role with the Browns. I think that's what every ex-player would like to do most of all: to be a contributor to the success of an organization that he was a player that brought a certain amount of success.
In business, the earning of profit is something more than an incident of success. It is an essential condition of success. It is an essential condition of success because the continued absence of profit itself spells failure.
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