The humiliating 3-5 home defeat by Villarreal in the 22nd round of La Liga was not the biggest shock of Saturday night for Barcelona fans. It was prepared for them by coach Xavi, who announced at the post-match press conference that he was leaving the Blaugranas after the season. The Spanish coach thus follows colleague Jürgen Klopp, who said on Friday that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the year.
Xavi has led Barcelona since November 2021, when he returned to the club of his heart from a stint at Qatar’s Al Sadd. In the 2022/23 season, he dominated La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with it. The team is currently third in the table with a ten-point loss to leaders Girona. Although Barca are not in the best form, Xavi’s announcement seems like a bolt from the blue.
“I have decided that I will not continue after June 30. It is a reasonable decision for the good of the club,” he declared in a press conference after the collapse with Villarreal. His decision is all the more surprising given that last September he extended his contract at the Catalan club until the summer of 2025.
Xavi Hernández: “I want to announce that on June 30 I will no longer continue as the coach at Barça. I think the situation needs to change course, and as a culer, I cannot allow the current situation.” pic.twitter.com/VSEfG2zRNt
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 27, 2024
The determination to take a major step has been brewing in him for some time. “I made my decision a long time ago. Even if we won today, it wouldn’t change anything. My departure is the best thing for the club, the players and me,” he declared, adding: “I will rest after the season. My family suffered because of me, now I want to be with them.”
Unlike Klopp, he did not mention a lack of energy. “I’m not burnt out, I have strength. But I think the club needs something new. I’ll give everything until the last months in office. We can still fight for the league title, even if we’re 10 points down.”
“You can’t deny that I gave everything to this club. I put the club’s interests before my own,” said Xavi, who also addressed the critical Spanish media. “This happens to all Barcelona coaches after a while. You leave because you realize it’s not worth continuing. This club will never have its Ferguson because you don’t let anyone stay here for that long.”
2024-01-28 03:11:49
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