Barcelona is a highly political club, and it is fair to say that it got the better of Xavi Hernandez last season, with Blaugrana leadership swinging between backing him and sacking him for a number of months. The fallout is still ongoing.
This week President Joan Laporta noted that he was delighted with the team so far, and felt that the work done in to bring in a new fitness staff was paying dividends. It was a criticism levelled at Xavi that his side was not physically up to scratch last season, and TV3 report that those around Xavi believe the constant stories about the fitness of the team over the last few months have been deliberate. They feel that the praise for Hansi Flick and his new fitness staff is indirectly a criticism of Xavi’s work.
Barcelona want to sign both Jonathan Tah and Joshua Kimmich as free agents next summer. @sergisoleMD, @ffpolo pic.twitter.com/hADr3mAMzB
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) September 7, 2024
Presumably the motivation would be to lay the blame for last season’s failures at Xavi’s door, rather than at the squad planning or for the hierarchy. It may well be the case. That said, the difference in fitness has been commented on by Robert Lewandowski, Pau Cubarsi and Pedri, and it seems unlikely that they would get involved in the club’s media battle with a former manager.
It’s all Real Madrid now