Europe's Best: Xavi Stands Tall as Long Ball Master
WhoScored.com has taken the time to establish the players, per position, with the best range of passing based on the number of long balls completed per game, along with success rate. We have looked at the best 3 players from defence, midfield, attack and even in goal, to gauge who are Europe's greatest distributors of the long ball, though none really come close to the undisputed pass master.
Barcelona's Xavi is a once in a generation type of player and continues to be an integral part of the world's best football team at 31 having broken into the team at the Nou Camp in 1998 aged 18, under then manager Louis van Gaal. It was in fact an injury to his former teammate, and now coach, Pep Guardiola a year later that saw the teenager establish himself as Barca's key creator.
Not only has Xavi gone onto cement his place as Barcelona's captain, he has also made 107 appearances for his country - the third most in Spain's history - and it isn't hard to see why. This season the pass master has misplaced just 73 out of 1220 attempted passes in the league, giving him an overall success rate of 94%. Unbelievably, his long ball accuracy is actually greater, finding his target with 97 of 101 efforts (96%).
Europe's Best Distributing Goalkeepers
In terms of accurate long balls per game, Wolves' Wayne Hennessey leads the way for any player in Europe with 13.8. The figure is testament to the work of the likes of Kevin Doyle up front for Mick McCarthy's side, ensuring the Welshman finds a teammate with 50% of his efforts.
MGladbach's teenage sensation Marc-Andre ter Stegen, however, stands above any other keeper in Europe in terms of accuracy having found a colleague 61% of the time having only completed less long balls per game than Hennessey. Of goalkeepers across the top 5 leagues, only Stoke's Asmir Begovic comes close to the 19-year-old for accuracy with 58%, which is perhaps no surprise with the likes of Crouch, Jones and Walters to aim for up front.
Defenders Not Just Hitting and Hoping
Of any outfielder in Europe, Nurnberg's young centre-back Philipp Wollscheid has completed, and in turn attempted, more long balls than any other. With 11.5 per game the 22-year-old has hit his man with 149 out of 200 attempts, with a success rate of just under 75% proving that the German is not hoofing the ball up-field in hope but actually aiming, and in the most part succeeding to pick out a man.
AC Milan's Thiago Silva has an obvious target to aim for when attempting long balls in Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Brazilian defender looks to make long distance balls and encourage counter attacks in turn having completed 10.2 per game on average. A success rate of 79% shows a clear vision and ability to reach his target, which culminated in a man of the match display against Fiorentina in which he was successful with 25 of 26 long balls forward.
In terms of long ball accuracy, no defender really comes close to Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm. It is easy to overlook the fact that the experienced left-back is still just 28 as he seems to have been around for decades, though his form has never diminished. Completing 127 of 151 long balls attempted, Lahm is accurate a superb 84% of the time and is crucial to his side's style of play under Jupp Heynckes.
Top Midfielders in Xavi's Wake
Andrea Pirlo has made a career of dictating play with his vision and exemplary passing, meaning a decreasing mobility has not affected his ability to perform at the highest level. Deemed surplus to requirements at AC Milan at the end of last season, Pirlo joined Juventus in the summer and has led the Turin-based club to the summit of Serie A. With 12.4 accurate long balls per game he completes more on average than any outfielder and is accurate a magnificent 84% of the time.
The veteran's midfield partner at international level has been Daniele De Rossi for a number of years now and the duo are immense in keeping possession. The Roma skipper, renowned for his tough tackling approach, has completed 11.2 long balls per game from a holding role, with an 86% accuracy just trumping Pirlo's figure.
The closest player to Xavi in terms of long ball accuracy is Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler. Having made the switch from Udinese in the summer, the Swiss international captain has continued to prove an assured nature in possession along with a willing work rate in the centre of the park. Having attempted 118 long balls, Inler has misplaced just 13 to leave him with an excellent accuracy of 89%, which like Xavi is just up on his short pass accuracy (88%).
Searching Strikers
It is of no surprise to see that Wayne Rooney has completed a far greater number of long balls than any other forward given the United man's style of play and insistence to be involved at all times. A figure of 21 long balls certainly bolstered his figures when playing in midfield against Swansea, though the England international’s stats still far outweigh his opponents. With 80 out of 99 long balls completed in total, the 26-year-old is accurate 81% of the time, with 7.3 per game a full 5 more than the next most in Europe for his position.
The resulting figure of 2.3 per game belongs to Sunderland's Arsenal loanee Nicklas Bendtner, who has become a key member of Steve Bruce's side. Considered as an out-and-out target man by many, the Dane has floated along to the front line and dropped deep to fire in 18 out of 22 accurate long balls, meaning his success rate of 82% is the best of any forward in Europe.
Udinese talisman Antonio Di Natale completes our analysis having made 2.1 accurate long balls per game - the third most prolific of any striker in this regard. Having found his man with 21 out of 28 attempts in total, he finds a man with exactly three-quarters of his efforts as he continues to stretch out the twilight years of his career.
Whether any player is able to emulate the passing figures of Xavi in the coming years and indeed decades remains to be seen, though one suspects any prospect may be born from the same school of thought as the Spaniard at the Nou Camp.
