Yet another captain bids Barca farewell

Xavi's illustrious Barcelona career will come to an end in the next few weeks. He will be the third 'azulgrana' captain to depart this summer, following Victor Valdes and Carles Puyol. The Catalan midfielder will soon be handing in his Barca jersey after having signed a pre-contract with Qatari side Al Arabi.

Xavi's new coach, Dan Petrescu, broke the news: "Xavi has signed a pre-contract with us. Other clubs were interested in him, but our offer has convinced him. I've spoken to him personally on the phone." The former Chelsea player added that Al Arabi will pay him around €8m for every six months of competition.

Cesc told MARCA about his friend's decision to leave the Camp Nou: "He and Puyol want to step out of the limelight, spend more time with their families and enjoy a less demanding lifestyle."

The midfielder will leave the Camp Nou after scoring 81 goals in 723 matches over 16 seasons. The most decorated player in Barca's history boasts a glittering list of honours: two Club World Cups, three Champions Leagues, two European Super Cups, seven leagues, two Copas del Rey and six Supercopas.