On Saturday, after Barcelona’s bitterly disappointing 5-3 defeat to Villarreal at Montjuic, head coach Xavi Hernandez announced that he would be stepping down from the position at the end of the season. The 44-year-old has taken the decision in the midst of a very difficult spell for the football club, which has seen them miss out of two trophies (Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey), while also being highly unlikely to win La Liga.
Xavi revealed that he spoke to club president Joan Laporta earlier in the day to reveal his decision, and now Laporta has addressed the matter via the club’s official media channels. Despite the pressure that the manager has been under, he won’t be sacked, and will only leave in the summer.
“Xavi has told us that at the end of the season he will leave. It’s a formula I accept because it’s Xavi, and he is a Barcelona legend. He has proposed it to me, he is an honest person. He acts with a lot of dignity and is a person who esteems Barcelona.”
🎙️ Les declaracions del president @JoanLaportaFCB pic.twitter.com/uPOWdAikS2
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) January 28, 2024
Laporta spoke on Barcelona’s objectives for the remainder of the season.
“La Liga is difficult, but it’s not lost. We have to compete until the end and see what happens. We have to give our all to try to win the Champions League. We have the tie against Napoli, we will take it step by step. The work of everyone, the coach, the players, will come with great commitment. I think we can finish the season well.”
Xavi has commanded the backing of Laporta throughout his time as manager, and that will continue until he leaves Barcelona at the end of the season. The Catalans will hope this situation can galvanise the squad towards a strong final few months of the campaign.
