Soccer-Xavi deserves fitting finale in Berlin, says Iniesta

By Tim Hanlon BARCELONA, June 2 (Reuters) - Barcelona's Andres Iniesta says midfield team mate Xavi deserves to go out on a high in Saturday's Champions League final against Juventus in Berlin. Xavi can win his fourth Champions League trophy in a fitting finale to his Barcelona career having announced that he would leave at the end of the season after 17 seasons in which he has picked up a Spanish record 24 trophies. "He is the number one for me and it has been great to have him as a colleague and also a friend throughout my career," Iniesta told a news conference, when asked to rate Xavi as a midfield playmaker. "It has been a great season for a unique player like Xavi and hopefully it will be the perfect ending for him and the team if he lifts the Champions League." Xavi's impact in the team has diminished this season due to his age and the realisation of coach Luis Enrique that he needed to freshen up the team with new blood and a different approach. He has still played an important role as a leader but the side has developed a more direct style of play that has been propelled by the attack of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez rather than an intricate midfield passing game. Similarly at Juventus, Andrea Pirlo, one of the most gifted and graceful midfielders of his generation, is coming towards the end of his career and Iniesta acknowledges that the Italian has also been one of the greats. "The clubs where he has played as well as the role that he had at them and the style of his play show that he is world class and a reference for all people who watch football," said Iniesta. "He symbolises good play and we will have to be careful that he doesn't have much of the ball because he can cause us a lot of problems. (Editing by Martyn Herman)