Koke, Cesc Fabregas Can Lead an Evolution of Style in Spain’s Midfield

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 12, 2015

commentComment        

During the 2013-14 edition of the Champions League, Barcelona met Atletico Madrid in an all-Spanish tie in the competition's quarter-finals. It was the ultimate clash of styles: The Catalans were intricate and precise; Los Colchoneros were physical and direct. 

Essentially, the teams represented each end of the style spectrum in Spain's top tier. Yet at the heart of the lineups were players of similar essence: Xavi and Koke. 

"Koke is an extraordinary footballer," Xavi told Atletico's official website in the buildup to the quarter-final clash, relayed by the Independent. "He has everything: talent, physical ability, he is a footballer of the present and the future.

"He has been marked out as the conductor of Spain's orchestra for the next 10 years. I have a special affection for him because we play in the same position and I think he is an extraordinary player."

Coming from arguably the greatest player in Spanish football history, that is high praise—Spain boss Vicente del Bosque would later follow suit. In the buildup to La Roja's friendly with Costa Rica at the Estadio Reino de Leon on Thursday, Koke was quizzed on whether he saw himself as the new Xavi.

"Me, the 'new Xavi'? In the end, there is not going to be a 'new Xavi', or 'new Iniesta', or 'new whatever'," the Atletico star told Goal. "I hope to be remembered as Koke."

It was a humble response from the 23-year-old but also an important one for Spain. Though Koke shares some attributes with the Barcelona great, his club career at Atletico Madrid is shaping him into a slightly different type of central orchestrator.



Under Diego Simeone at the Vicente Calderon, Koke provides Atleti with their guile, vision and tempo but does so in a more direct manner. In Spain, "direct" isn't Sam Allardyce direct; it's a description of a player's inclination to move the ball forward at all opportuniti...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!