Xavi to See Out Barcelona
Spanish sports outlets SPORT and MARCA, citing unnamed sources, report that FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has agreed to fulfill his contract, running until mid-2025.
Xavi, a club legend, took over in late 2021 after the dismissal of fellow former midfielder Ronald Koeman.
In his first full season (2022/2023), Xavi delivered Barcelona their first La Liga title in four years and claimed the Spanish Super Cup, defeating arch-rivals Real Madrid.
However, this season hasn't been as successful. Barcelona is likely to relinquish both trophies to Los Blancos.
Real Madrid secured the Super Cup in early 2024 with a resounding 4-1 victory over Barca in the Riyadh final. They currently hold an 11-point lead at the top of the domestic league after winning El Clasico 3-2 last weekend.
Between these events, Xavi made a dramatic announcement of his resignation on June 30th, following a 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal in late January.
His team then embarked on a remarkable 13-game winning streak, with Xavi attributing this turnaround partly to his resignation announcement.
Barcelona's reality check came with a heavy 6-4 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals.
This, coupled with the Clasico loss a few days later, made Barcelona's trophyless season almost certain. However, reports from Mundo Deportivo on Monday suggested Xavi was now "open" to staying.
In another dramatic turn of events, rival publication SPORT claimed on Thursday that Xavi was "more likely to leave" the club he holds dear.
Yet, following a meeting at President Joan Laporta's residence later that day, with sporting director Deco also present, Xavi reportedly agreed to see out his contract until June 30th, 2025.
Whether Xavi is interested in extending his stay beyond that date remains unclear. However, Laporta has previously expressed his desire to keep his former number '6' at the club, telling Mundo Deportivo he had tried to convince Xavi to change his mind.
Barcelona's financial situation might also have influenced Laporta's stance. The club, which nearly faced bankruptcy after the pandemic, is believed to lack the funds to recruit a top-tier coach.
Things might change by next year. Jurgen Klopp, on the verge of leaving Liverpool, could be open to a return to management after his planned sabbatical.
Additionally, 2025 sees the activation of a clause in the contract of Xabi Alonso, current manager of Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and his former Barcelona player. However, he has also been linked to replacing Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
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