The round trip that opened at the beginning of 2024 ended in the last hours at the Ciutat Esportiva de Sant Joan Despí in Barcelona: the president Joan Laporta informed Xavi that he will not continue being the coach of the first team.
The club finally made the decision not to continue the cycle of the emblematic former midfielder on the substitute bench and it was the president who gave him the news: “The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, informed Xavi Hernández this afternoon that he will not continue as coach of the first team in the 2024-25 season″, they reported on their social networks.
Next Sunday, against Sevilla as a visitor for the 38th round of the League, the cycle of one of the most important names in the history of the League will end. Blaugrana. In January 2024after an unusual defeat against Villarreal that complicated their situation in the local tournament, Xavi surprised everyone and warned that would not continue beyond this seasondespite the fact that they still had the round of 16 of the Champions League ahead of them (they were finally eliminated in the quarterfinals by PSG).
The weeks went by, until during April decided to confirm both parties that they would continue working together until June 2025. Peace did not last long: a crisis between the DT and the president that broke out days ago began to put the magnifying glass on again about Xavi’s future. Finally, the board made the decision to dismiss the 44-year-old symbol.
He made his debut as a player there in 1998 and left 17 seasons later as one of the winningest players in history with 23 crowns. Between 2015 and 2019, she continued her professional career in the Al-Sadd of Qatar, until he made the leap to the role of coach in that entity. His experience ended there abruptly towards the end of 2021 when the call came from Barcelona.
In November 2021 he had an exciting presentation in his sports home as coach, taking the place of the outgoing Ronald Koeman. Although he managed to lead Blaugrana To win two crowns in the post-Messi era (Spanish Super Cup and League), his path as coach had ups and downs to the point of ending in this uncomfortable exit.
In this context, the official statement from the Catalan entity warns that “in the coming days, FC Barcelona will report on the new structure of the first team”, although the newspaper Sports world puts a date on it: Next Monday, May 27, they are expected to make the German’s hiring official Hansi Flick.
In the local newspaper Sport They even assure that the former coach of the German team will earn a lower salary than Xavi and “will not be demanding with reinforcements” since he understands the delicate financial situation that the player is going through. Blaugrana.
Flick, 59, began his journey through the German promotion until 2006 when he became technical assistant to Joachim Löw in his country’s national team. Only in 2019 did he return to lead a team himself: he commanded the Bayern Munich until two years later he decided to leave the position and made the jump to national team of your country to cover the departure of his former boss Löw heading to the 2022 World Cup.
After a bad World Cup, the Mannschaft He decided to end his management towards the end of 2023.
THE BARCELONA COMMUNICATE
The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, informed Xavi Hernández this afternoon that he will not continue as coach of the first team in the 2024-25 season.
The meeting took place at the Joan Gamper Sports City and the sports vice president, Rafa Yuste, and the sports director, Anderson Luís de Souza, Deco, as well as Xavi’s assistants, Òscar Hernández and Sergio Alegre, were present.
FC Barcelona wants to thank Xavi for his work as a coach, which adds to an unparalleled career as a player and team captain, and wishes him all the luck in the world.
Xavi Hernández will coach his last game as first team coach this Sunday in Seville.
In the coming days, FC Barcelona will report on the new structure of the first team.
