Xavi breaks Champions League all-time appearance record 
Xavi has become the all-time Champions League appearance record holder after appearing from the bench in Barcelona's clash with Paris Saint-Germain. The central midfielder has been ever-present in the Catalunya club's first team for over 15 years,
during which time the Blaugrana have won the Champions League three times and reached at least the semi-final stage on nine occasions.
Having gone level with Real Madrid striker Raul in Champions League appearances in their opening 2014-15 group stage clash with APOEL,
Xavi went outright top in the all-time tally after coming on in the 69th minute for Ivan Rakitic against PSG on Tuesday.
Xavi, 34, has now played in the elite European tournament 143 times - having made his debut against Manchester United in 1998-99 -
which is one more than Raul achieved while playing for Barca's arch-rivals Madrid and Bundesliga outfit Schalke.
However, Xavi's status as all-time Champions League appearance holder is not guaranteed to last the season as Iker Casillas,
Madrid's captain and current first-choice goalkeeper, made his 141st appearance in matchday one of this season's group stage competition.
He has also struggled to hold down a consistent place in Luis Enrique's line-up this season, with summer signing Rakitic and Barca veterans Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets more often picked to start in midfield for the Camp Nou club.
Xavi's total of 143 appearances does not include games played before the group stage - if those games are counted towards the total then Xavi (149) actually lags just behind recently retired Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (151). http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2014/09/30/5144989/xavi-breaks-champions-league-all-time-appearance-record?ICID=OP
