Xavi and Ribéry shared their experience and advice with those attending the Globe Soccer conference being held in Dubai. Archrivals on the pitch, but the best of mates off it, Xavi and Ribéry both agreed that a "passion for football" was a key factor in their success. Going into more detail, Xavi explained that "the factors for success at Barça are many – to have a good team, to bring talent together, a winning mentality, team spirit, and a little luck..."Naturally, the subject of the Ballon d'Or came up. Xavi had no doubts: "Ribéry and Ronaldo have done great things to win the Ballon d'Or, but for me the best player in the world, and in history, is Messi. I am quite sure of it, but don't have a vote."The Barça player also talked about the last Champions League clash against Bayern, whose bitter tasting memory is still in the mouths of the Culés. "I hope that if we meet again, we can be more competitive than we were last year. It's evident that Bayern is the favourite to win this competition."On the Barcelona youth academy, he said, "I am a student of that academy. They teach you to compete and also teach you about values. You are taught more than just football. Respect and the transferring of those values is more important than winning."The interviewer, journalist Mustaf Al Agha, remarked that this spirit was present in many teams, but that Barcelona had however become a worldwide phenomenon, to which Xavi replied: "We have managed to make history, but with the passing of time we will see even more clearly that we have achieved something extraordinary. It's not about being leaders. I don't believe in leaders, I believe in the group."The player was then also asked if he took over the role of coach last season when Tito Vilanova's illness relapsed: "No way, not at all. His illness was a big handicap and we all had to pull together. The work of the assistant managers was great, as was that of the team captains and the other players, who in that moment decided to come together as a group despite considerable adversity, and we played an extraordinary season."Both Xavi and Ribéry felt themselves "privileged" for being able to succeed in something they love doing. "For many people, especially for the children, we are an example. We have to be humble, we are but human and if you ever make a mistake, it's no big deal if you apologise."Both were hopeful regarding the World Cup. The Spain player was clear: "We're excited about going. We know it'll be hard, that the hosts are a superb team, as we saw in the Confederations Cup. But we're up for it and want to keep our title."Xavi and Ribéry will attend the Globe Soccer's closing ceremony, in which Cristiano Ronaldo was recognised as the best player of the year, voted for by football fans from all over the world.
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