Xavi, the coach of FC Barcelona, has decided to take the initiative by announcing his departure from the Catalan club at the end of the season. This decision surprised everyone, including Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta.
Xavi outmaneuvered everyone. The Spanish coach will leave Barcelona at the end of the season, following the defeat against Villarreal (3-5) in La Liga. Xavi hopes to breathe new life into Barcelona by initiating a new cycle. It’s worth noting that the Catalan club is eliminated from the Copa del Rey and qualified for the Champions League round of 16, currently occupying the 3rd place in the league standings, 10 points behind the leader, Real Madrid.
According to Relevo, Xavi made the decision with his staff at the final whistle of Saturday’s match. However, Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, was not informed until just before the official announcement.
Joan Laporta tried to convince Xavi to stay during an emergency meeting in the stadium corridors after the Villarreal match. After 1.5 hours of discussions, Xavi did not change his mind.
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According to the Spanish press, the locker room is leaning towards… Luis Enrique, the current coach of PSG. While several names are circulating to replace Xavi on the FC Barcelona bench (Jürgen Klopp, Thiago Motta, Sergio Conceiçao, Imanol Alguacil), Sport claims that the current Paris Saint-Germain coach is the players’ main preference for the next season. However, the Catalan newspaper asserts that a return of Luis Enrique to Catalonia would be almost impossible. PSG will not let go of its coach, and the Spanish tactician does not seem interested.
