Xavi stays! The technician was convinced to complete his contract
Xavi Hernández (42 years old) was very clear that he will leave Barcelona at the end of this season. However, the club failed to find a satisfactory replacement and made efforts to convince him to stay and see out his contract until 2025.
Joan Laporta’s house was the scene where it was decided this wednesday the future of the coach of Barcelona. And he will continue to remain the coach of the first team.
Xavi and Deco met at CIudad Deportiva in the early afternoon on Wednesday and, after the meeting, both went to Laporta’s home, where the president was with lawyer Rafa Yuste.
The club had to put the cards on the table, and continuing with the Catalan was a viable option, but with nuances. And the two sides have already reached a common ground. It should not be forgotten that the big targets to replace the former midfielder were currently out of reach for Barcelona.
With the decision on Xavi’s continuity, the club will be able to start planning for the 24-25 season. The first case that had to be closed was that of the coach, and this Wednesday it was already solved.
Xavi announced on 27 January, after being beaten at home by Villarreal, that he would leave the Catalan outfit at the end of the season. He felt that this gesture was necessary for the team to react.
And so he did. But it wasn’t enough to stay alive in the Champions League, nor to beat Real Madrid in a Clasico that could have given them the chance to fight for the title of champions. Even so, the improvement was evident again the public support of the team, fans and Deco and Laporta themselves made him reconsider his decision.
His entourage claims that the anger at the end of the game with PSG, in which he believed that Barça had been unfairly eliminated, led him to change his decision. Suddenly, Xavi was determined to continue.
The decision did not surprise Laporta and Deco, who expected it, but who also knew how to play their cards. Instead of listening to Xavi’s conditions, they imposed them and the coach accepted them.
Now it remains to be seen what the technical organization will look like in the next season. And, above all, what is the reaction of the locker room after the coach gave assurances that he will not continue after June 30.
In the stands, this kind of change of direction tends to generate a lot of controversy. But there will be time for that. The important thing is that Xavi backed down and Laporta accepted this. The legendary Catalan will be Barcelona’s coach in the 2024-25 season as well.
