Spain midfielder Xavi made his 549th appearance for FC Barcelona in their 2-1 La Liga victory at home to Levante on Sunday, equalling the club record set by Migueli during the 80s.
The 30-year-old was joined by Migueli in the centre circle at Camp Nou before kick-off and returned there after the final whistle to take the applause of the home fans.
"I'm very proud to be able to wear this shirt and to match a FC Barcelona legend like Migueli", Xavi told Spanish television.
"I want to continue defending these colours with all my heart and soul, and to win more titles. I am very pleased."
Barca's coach, Pep Guardiola, said afterwards: "What he has achieved is of gigantic proportions".
"I played 300 games, which I thought was a huge amount. Migueli played 549 and retired aged 38."
"Xavi has already played these 549 games and he is only 30, and has survived an operation on a cruciate ligament."
"It wouldn't surprise me if he reached 700 games."
Xavi joined the Catalan club aged 11 in 1991 and after progressing through the youth ranks he made his first-team debut under Louis van Gaal against Real Mallorca in the 1998 Spanish SuperCup.
He has gone on to play in 367 league matches and 110 Champions League games, winning 5 Primera Division titles and 2 Champions League crowns.
Xavi has also won 97 caps with the Spain team, helping them to win EURO 2008 - when he was nominated Player of the Tournament - and the 2010 World Cup.
The playmaker has been shortlisted along with Barca team-mates Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, which will be decided on 10 January.
FC Barcelona could welcome back Lionel Messi as they look to keep their Copa del Rey hopes alive against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.
Messi missed Sunday's 2-1 Primera win over Levante after being given extra time off by Pep Guardiola, but he returned to training on Monday and could be a timely reinforcement for the trip to San Mames, where Barca will be hoping to book their place in the quarter-finals.
Barca face a tough test having been held to a goalless draw at home in the first leg, but they can take some cheer from Athletic's 2-1 home defeat to Deportivo La Coruna at the weekend - a result which brought to an end the Basque club's 6-match winning streak at home.
The match pits the two most successful sides in Copa del Rey history against each other - Barca having 25 crowns to Athletic Bilbao's 23 - and is also a repeat of the 2009 final which the Catalan side won 4-1.
Xavi named world's best playmaker
FC Barcelona's Xavi has been voted the world's best playmaker by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics for the third consecutive year.
The Spaniard - overlooked for the Ballon D'or on Monday - came top of the IFFHS poll with a total of 223 points, awarded by a panel of 85 football experts based worldwide.
FC Barcelona and Spain team-mate Andres Iniesta came second in the voting, with Inter Milano's Wesley Sneijder third.
2010 Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi came 4th.
Guardiola set to pass Michels landmark
Primera Division leaders FC Barcelona can take their unbeaten run to 28 matches if they can avoid defeat at home to Malaga on Sunday, passing the previous club record set by Rinus Michels 37 years ago.
The Dutch father of "Total Football" went 27 matches unbeaten in all competitions before losing 2-0 away to Atletico Madrid having already secured the 1974 league title.
He would no doubt have approved of Barca's display in matching his tally on Wednesday.
The champions crushed second division leaders Real Betis in Copa del Rey quarter-finals first leg, shaking off spirited visitors with a style of football he introduced to the world and which has become the Catalan club's trademark.
Michels had one of the game's greatest players in Johan Cruyff at the heart of his Barca team and Pep Guardiola has Lionel Messi.
Injury blow for Alves
FC Barcelona's Dani Alves is set to miss the next 2 weeks of the season after picking up a calf injury during Sunday's 4-1 win over Malaga.
The Brazilian was forced out of the action after 24 minutes, having already created a goal for Andres Iniesta and the club have confirmed that he has suffered a small tear in his right calf.
He will undergo further tests on Monday but, if as expected he misses 15 days, he will be absent for league games with Racing Santander and Hercules Alicante, as well as the Copa Del Rey quarter-final with Real Betis and any potential semi-final first leg.
Milito staying at Barca
Argentina defender Gabriel Milito will not be leaving FC Barcelona in the January transfer window, the La Liga club's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta said on Sunday.
"He is staying", Zubizarreta said in an interview with Spanish television after the 30-year-old was linked last week with a loan move to England or Italy and coach Pep Guardiola said he would not stand in the way.
"He told us he had thought it over", Zubizarreta added.
"We are delighted because we wanted him to remain in the squad."
Media reports said Milito wanted to secure first-team football to boost his chances of holding his place in the Argentina squad.
He rarely starts for the Spanish champions and has been plagued by injuries, most recently a thigh muscle problem.
Barca claim record league win
FC Barcelona recorded a record 14th straight La Liga win with a 3-0 victory over Racing Santander at Camp Nou.
Barca have amassed a record points haul of 55 points from a possible 60 in their opening 20 games in La Liga.
No side in the history of the league has amassed such a total at this stage of the season.
They are 7 points clear of Real Madrid, who host Real Mallorca on Sunday.
Racing have collected only 5 points away from home in La Liga this season. They remain 6 points ahead of bottom side Almeria.
Barca's victory equals their previous best run in La Liga when they notched up 14 straight league wins in the 2005/2006 season.
interesant documentarul
"Barca should sell Alves"
Johan Cruyff feels FC Barcelona should consider allowing Dani Alves to join Manchester City if they make a big bid for the Brazil full-back.
Alves has yet to sign an extension to his contract which runs out in 2012, reportedly demanding to be made the club's second-highest earner behind Messi.
City have long been linked with the dynamic full-back and are still thought to be interested, as they were when Yaya Toure became disgruntled last season and ended up at Eastlands.
Former player and coach Cruyff believes Barca should cut their losses and sell while they can.
"Barca have a wage scale that cannot be ignored", he said in his column in El Periodico.
"Barcelona are a sensational team with or without Alves."
"Is it better to have him with us? Sure. However, if Manchester City's offer is for real it may be better to sell him rather than wait for his contract to end and then he will go for free."
"It's exactly the same as Yaya Toure. The coach wants Alves to stay, as he did with Toure - but what cannot be, cannot be."
ce materialist... nu-i mai place tiki taka
Messi fined for birthday gesture
Lionel Messi has been fined for lifting his shirt to reveal a vest wishing his mother a happy birthday after scoring a goal for FC Barcelona.
The World Player of the Year ran over to a television camera to reveal the words "Happy birthday mami" on an undershirt after scoring a penalty in Barca's 3-0 home win over Racing Santander on Saturday.
The referee did not book the Argentine forward for the celebration but mentioned the action in his match report.
The federation's disciplinary committee punished Messi under their article 91.1 for goal celebrations, which carries a fine of €3.000 and awarded him a yellow card.
Busquets pens new deal
FC Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has signed a contract extension to keep him at Camp Nou until 2015.
The 22-year-old on Thursday morning put pen to paper on his new deal at the club's offices alongside president Sandro Rosell.
The new agreement contains an automatic extension for a further year depending on games played in the 2014/2015 campaign - and a buyout clause from 80 to €150 million.
Busquets made his senior debut during the 2008/2009 season and has since established himself as an important member of Pep Guardiola's squad.
Etapa 21
Hercules - Barcelona
FC Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola was a proud man after his side equaled the Primera Division record of 15 straight victories.
Barca's 3-0 victory away to Hercules not only avenged their defeat to the Spanish strugglers in September last year, but equalled the league record set by Real Madrid in the 1960/1961 season.
Guardiola did not shy away from talking down the achievement that his all-conquering side brought up on Saturday, as they consolidated their 7-point advantage on top of the table, although Jose Mourinho's Real side scan reduce the gap when they face Osasuna on Sunday.
"It is a tremendous honour to win 15 consecutive league games and equal the record of Di Stefano's Real side", Guardiola said of the team which won the first 5 European Cups between 1956 and 1960.
"I am sure that some team will beat the record but nobody has managed to do it in 50 years. We are proud. If 50 years have passed, it shows how difficult it is."
FC Barcelona will hold the record outright if they can beat Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou next week.
Guardiola also heaped praise on midfielder Lionel Messi, who scored 2 goals to seal the match against Hercules.
"He has scored 164 goals at the age of 23 and is 4th in Barca's all-time scorer's list, but if he continues like this he is going to break all the records", he said.
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