After a turbulent series of events that captured the full essence of Barcelona’s chaotic current state, it was finally settled that Xavi would be staying on as manager on Wednesday evening.
At 9pm local time, it was confirmed that talks at an emergency meeting held at Joan Laporta’s residence in the heart of the city resulted in the agreement being reached by all parties.
Present alongside the club president was Xavi, sporting director Deco and executives Rafa Yuste and Alejandro Echevarria — Barca’s five biggest decision makers.
Xavi said after a shock 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal on January 27 that he would leave as manager at the end of this season, describing the role as a “cruel job” that “wears you down”.
Almost three months on, his U-turn is a reflection of several factors — including a positive upturn in performances since — and those who have followed events closely would not be surprised by his change of heart.
But that still didn’t stop the whole thing unfolding dramatically — and in a way that perhaps even weakens his position.
This week was always expected to bring the decisive turning point in Xavi’s future.
Laporta said several times recently that he hoped to convince Xavi to stay on and fulfil his contract, which runs until the summer of 2025. But while the team was still competing in the Champions League and pursuing faint hopes of a La Liga comeback, the issue was not discussed in depth.
Following the quarter-final elimination by Paris Saint-Germain, and after Real Madrid went 11 points clear with victory in Sunday’s Clasico, the time had come for decisions to be made.
Despite these results, Xavi felt he had the dressing room’s support, and that the fighting spirit shown during an unbeaten 13-match run that preceded this past week’s two losses showed signs of this. He told Laporta early this week what the president had been suspecting for months: that he was willing to reconsider the resignation he announced in January and stay.
On Monday, multiple Barcelona players exchanged messages with each other, sharing their feelings that Xavi staying was the most likely outcome for next season — given the manager’s reaction to them after the Madrid loss.
However, sources close to Xavi — who, like all those cited here, wished to remain anonymous to protect their positions — said the manager wanted the club to make some changes to avoid the dysfunctions of the past.
They said Xavi’s biggest demand was related to the transfer window, where the manager felt his vision of what the team needed had not been backed in the past, and that he also wanted guarantees that Barcelona could operate in the summer transfer market to reinforce the squad.
Xavi and Laporta, pictured in January (Eric Alonso/Getty Images)
This did not seem to fit with what board members had in their minds. Sources involved in Barcelona’s sporting direction said the club was not in a position to promise big signings, just as Xavi was not in a position to make great demands — referring to the results against PSG and Madrid.
In this context, the name of Rafael Marquez as a potential replacement for Xavi started to reappear in local media reports. Senior sources at the club suggested, in contrast to what they had said months ago, that Marquez would be ready to step up. The Mexican 45-year-old has been in charge of Barcelona Atletic, the club’s reserve team that plays in Spain’s third tier and was previously described as an “emergency” option by Deco.
But both stances, from the club’s side and Xavi’s, were set. They agreed to have a meeting and an honest discussion to plot a way forward.
On Wednesday, there was a scheduled board meeting at offices near the Camp Nou. Club sources said this was a regular meeting, one that takes place each month. They also insisted Xavi’s future would not be on the agenda. Unsurprisingly, it was.
The meeting started at 2pm and finished just over two hours later. Afterwards, Laporta was reported to have gone home, while Deco and Xavi (neither of whom were present at the meeting) were spotted holding a meeting of their own at Barca’s training facilities to the west of the city.
At that point, some club sources started briefing to local media that the key decision-makers on the board were having significant doubts over Xavi. They said recent results had revived a critical feeling among a faction of Laporta’s allies.
Xavi was sent off in the PSG defeat last week (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Some executives have been unhappy for a long time over how Xavi handles the team’s training, too. It has been their opinion that Barcelona have been short of proper physical preparation for some time. They have not been impressed by the number of days off the manager has given his group, and have previously labelled sessions as “too short and too light”.
Xavi’s camp has always denied those claims, with sources close to the manager’s coaching staff saying they have trained as much as the fixture schedule has allowed. They have always seen the squad as totally prepared from a physical perspective.
By the time of Deco and Xavi’s meeting on Wednesday evening, an atmosphere of uncertainty had built up. There was great speculation in local media that the most likely outcome, of Xavi staying on, was now looking far from guaranteed. Multiple sources at the club told The Athletic there was more to come.
Xavi and Deco were pictured leaving Barca’s training ground in their cars at around 7pm — and it soon emerged that they were on their way to the day’s denouement at Laporta’s home.
As reports from local media outlet RAC1 first advanced, Xavi made an emotional speech to Laporta in that meeting. He insisted he saw himself as capable of leading the squad and made the case that Barca needed one more year of stability.
The conversation, between the club’s most important group of leaders, ended with the conclusion that, no matter what had been discussed at the board meeting earlier, Xavi did indeed have the club’s trust, putting an end to a frantic day.
It means Xavi will remain in his role, as had been his wish since changing his mind. But the way in which the whole process was carried out has not left him in as strong a position as you might have expected even just a few days ago.
Damage for Xavi — and what it means for Marquez — analysis
From The Athletic’s Barcelona correspondents Pol Ballus and Laia Cervello Herrero.
Pol: I did expect Xavi to stay, but certainly not in the way it unfolded. Wednesday just brought more proof to Xavi that he’s got several detractors inside the club — and that’s not the healthiest atmosphere in which to build a football project.
Laia: We already knew and have reported before about some disaffection on the board with Xavi. There were concerns over how the team trained their players in the physical department, this has always been there.
But there were also reports in local media, coming via briefings from the club, that suggested Barca had demanded Xavi replace key members of his staff, including his brother and assistant manager Oscar Hernandez. It’s hard not to see that as a way of showing Xavi, because I don’t think he’d ever agree to that.
Xavi and his brother Oscar Hernandez on the Barca touchline (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images)
Pol: I agree on this, but either way I don’t think Xavi’s narrative ends up reinforced here. And in January he said his decision to step down was something he had reflected on a great deal. He mentioned the pressure from the entorno and hinted about mental health problems. He said leaving was the best thing for the club as he did not see himself as the man to turn things around. Has all this really changed ? I don’t think any of this will get better next season if there are not good results.
Laia: That can be translated into the dressing room as well. What happened on Wednesday has shown everyone that the club does not have a clear unified focus, and I would not blame the players if they see Xavi’s authority as having been weaked.
Pol: What happened in the Royal Antwerp trip for the Champions League game, when Laporta intervened in his match selection, certainly didn’t help with that. Although the dressing room’s trust will likely not be his biggest problem from now on…
Laia: Yes, they have all remained pretty loyal to the manager. This is not a rebellious dressing room, there are some strong voices who sometimes disagreed with Xavi but the general atmosphere is supportive.
Don’t you think Rafael Marquez will be frustrated, though?
Pol: His hopes might have been enhanced at the start of this week… but at the end of the day he was a huge risk in my opinion, especially for the board. If they had opted for Marquez, the scrutiny on the board would have been more intense; their man, their gamble at a sensitive moment. And if there had been a bad start, the club’s financial situation would have left them with little option to change direction. Everyone would be asking Laporta’s board for answers.
Xavi is not seen as the best manager in the world, and fan opinion might have been divided after the latest results, but he is still a respected figure who knows the strengths and weaknesses of the team. It also leaves Marquez as an emergency solution if needed.
Laia: Now, at the end, there are no more excuses for the board. They have everything they need to start planning their next season, which is the most important thing for Barcelona, although we can expect summer to be mad once again.
(Top photo: Alberto Gardin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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