It’s official. Xavi has been sacked as FC Barcelona’s coach.
Barcelona has sacked manager Xavi, with former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick set to replace him.
This situation with the manager has left thousands of fans with Barcelona tickets, wondering if the club is again in jeopardy after the ridiculous turn of events.
The 44-year-old, contracted until 2025, was informed of the club’s decision during a meeting with club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco on Friday—exactly one month after it was announced that he would remain at the club.
Former Spain midfielder Xavi said in January that he was going to leave the Camp Nou, but Laporta persuaded him to stay in April.
But recent comments from Xavi, in which he opened up about the club’s financial struggles, are said to have angered Laporta.
Barcelona said they would like to “thank Xavi for his work as a coach” since taking charge in 2021.
“It is never easy to leave the club of your life, but I am very proud after two and a half years at the head of a dressing room that has been like a second family,” said Xavi in an open letter on social media.
“From Sunday, I will be just one more Barca fan in the stands.
“Because before being a player or a coach, I am a Barcelona fan, and I only want the best for the club in my life, which will always have me at its disposal,” Xavi added in a heartfelt message to the fans with Barcelona tickets.
Conversations with the 59-year-old started at least two months ago, and an agreement with the manager has been in place for a while.
He has been out of work since Germany sacked him in September 2023.
Flick, who replaced Joachim Low as national boss in 2021, became the first German manager to lose his job ever since the manager position was created in 1926.
He has just won 12 matches in the 25 games he was in charge.
Flick’s stint with Germany came after he guided Bayern Munich to a treble in 2020, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League.
Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski, 35, played under Flick at the Allianz Arena for two seasons.
After guiding Barcelona to the La Liga title in 2022-23, Xavi’s side defended their crown disappointingly this term.
The Catalans are 12 points behind rivals Real Madrid, with one game remaining in the season.
Barcelona was knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-final stage by Paris St-Germain.
Xavi spent 17 years with Barcelona as a player, having emerged from the club’s La Masia academy.
After four years of playing for Qatari side Al-Sadd, Xavi retired in 2019 to take over the side as manager.
He remained in Qatar for two seasons before replacing Ronald Koeman in November 2021 as Barcelona boss.
Xavi helped the club to the La Liga title and Spanish Cup during his first full season in charge, earning the side a return to the Champions League.
Sevilla boss Quique Sanchez Flores has criticized Barcelona’s treatment of Xavi.
“I shouldn’t say this, but how badly Barcelona treats its legends. What a bad streak,” Flores told reporters on Friday afternoon.
“With Koeman, with Messi, with Xavi now – how bad. I wish clubs treated their legends well. That would be fantastic. Xavi is a legend of the club.”
Flores added he had “doubts the criticism about him [Xavi] is correct.”
Barcelona will finish the season second in La Liga behind champions Real Madrid, and Xavi will remain in charge for the game at Sevilla.
During his 141 games as Barcelona boss, Xavi won 89 matches – giving him a 63% win ratio.
New Coach – Hansi Flick
After weeks of internal debate, the Blaugrana administration decided that Flick was the right man to take over the reins of the first team. A meeting last week in London reportedly finalized the appointment.
Now, Florian Plettenberg reveals that the German coach will officially sign his contract with Barcelona on Monday, and the official announcement will arrive on the same day.
Considering that the board sees him as the architect for a long-term project, it is logical that they hand him a long-term contract.
Since Xavi will oversee his final game, bringing Flick on board less than 24 hours later can be considered rushing things.
However, the board’s hurry in finalizing the appointment shows how fast they want his acquisition to move. This is because the coming summer transfer window will see some big moves requiring Flick’s green light.
For now, it remains to be seen which pieces of Xavi’s puzzle the new manager provides continuity to and the names he chooses to axe. At this point, some big-name departures appear inevitable if the manager hopes to bring in his dream targets.
First Hansi-Flick Transfer
While fans with Barcelona tickets await the official news, rumors of the prospective new transfers to the club are already circling.
According to reliable sources, Barcelona will make Bayern Munich right-back and midfielder Joshua Kimmich a priority this summer.
A source told ESPN that former Bayern boss Hansi Flick is “on course” to take the reins at Barcelona next season. The 59-year-old is reportedly eager to add the club’s full-back option.
Kimmich has reportedly been identified as an ideal fit for the club, with the German international contract expiring.
The 29-year-old German international’s contract has little more than 12 months left to run, which leaves Bayern in a difficult situation: risk losing him as a free agent next year or part ways this summer.
Barcelona’s financial restraints could make a deal difficult to complete, however. They have been under pressure to reduce their wage bill and raise funds through outgoing transfers, with the club potentially needing to adopt a one-in-one-out policy, which could complicate a deal.
Kimmich made 49 appearances for Bayern across all competitions last season, registering two goals and ten assists. He and Flick previously worked together at Bayern and with the national team.
Fans with Barcelona tickets will agree that their defensive acumen put them down in this year’s La Liga run, and the addition of Kimmich would be a significant boost for the club.
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