Xavi Simons has had a difficult six months. An anterior cruciate ligament injury at 23 is a major setback, and the Tottenham midfielder still has some way to go before he can return to action. Away from football, however, he has found a way to put his time to good use: he is heading to university. And not just any university. Simons is set to study at Harvard, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
He announced the news in a post on LinkedIn, joking that he was going back to school. “During my recovery, I’ve tried to make the most of my time. Football is still my priority, but I want to keep learning and improving beyond the pitch, too. I’ve always had other interests. I want to understand more about the business side of the game, learn from people in other fields and grow as a person.” Simons has been undergoing rehabilitation at a specialist clinic in the United States. While there, he visited Harvard and enrolled on a business course, joining a cohort that includes professional athletes from the NFL and NBA, as well as Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga. He will study remotely, fitting classes and exams around his recovery.
The injury will also rule Simons out of the World Cup in the United States, where he had been expected to play a key role for the Netherlands. He has already missed the opening fixtures of their Nations League campaign, led by Catalan coach Xavi — the former Barcelona midfielder after whom Simons was named. Simons spent part of his youth at Barcelona’s academy before making his senior debut for PSG and establishing himself among Europe’s most exciting young players. With his return to the pitch still some way off, he has turned his attention to life beyond it.