10 Legends and the farewells they were given by their club

“The last impression is the lasting impression”. Though not as commonly used as its hackneyed “first impression” counterpart, there’s no doubting the truth in this statement. People, and sportsmen in particular, are almost always remembered by the grace (or the lack of it) with which they made their final bow. Some, like Glenn McGrath departed bathed in glory; others, like Andre Agassi, left us with mixed feelings about the timing of his swansong.Footballers are no exceptions to this rule. While some of them leave the game on open top buses with champagnes adorning their farewell snippets, others walk away silently, having to reminisce about their heydays. However, a lot of how they call it a day, depends on the culture, values and ethos of the clubs they played for. Let’s take a look at ten legends of the game, who have almost always, if not always, been one club men, and the farewells afforded to them by their clubs.We’ll move across the spectrum, going through the good, the bad and the ugly cases.

#1 Xavi Hernandez, FC Barcelona

Who better to begin with, than arguably the greatest midfielder the game has ever seen? Xavi Hernandez represented not just a style of football, or a football club – he represented what is a way of living in his beloved FC Barcelona. The unassuming, majestic Spaniard, saw spaces in the football pitch that nobody else saw, and threaded balls through these spaces with the accuracy of Agent 47.

Xavi bade farewell to the Blaugrana, by lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. Yes, his last match for the club he grew up with, was the biggest match in club football. However, he hadn’t just lifted the Ol’ Big Ears in his final season at the Camp Nou. Xavi was the treble winning captain of arguably the greatest club in the world, lifting the Copa Del Rey and La Liga trophies, before that night against Juventus.

Barcelona couldn’t have given a better farewell to one of their greatest and most loyal servants than this. After all, they had become the first team in history to achieve the European treble twice. Xavier Hernandez was the anchor of the first treble, and the commander of the second. What a legend. What a farewell.