After Jürgen Klopp this Friday, Xavi Hernandez also said stop. In difficulty in recent weeks on the Barça bench, where he had multiplied the setbacks, first against eternal rival Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup (4-1), then in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey against in Bilbao this Wednesday (4-2), and finally in La Liga against Villarreal this Saturday (3-5) at Camp Nou, the Catalan coach felt that the time had come to pack up.
Following the slap received today, which also allowed Real Madrid and Girona to widen the gap in the standings, the Blaugrana legend announced his departure from the club at the end of the season: “I would like to announce that on June 30, I will no longer continue as coach of Barça. I think the situation needs to change course and, as a culer, I cannot allow the current situation”he declared at a press conference in comments reported by Barça.
Xavi no longer feels in his place
Asked to give more explanations on this surprise announcement, Xavi formally indicated that he no longer felt in his place: “We spoke about it with President Laporta and with the sports management, as Culé I think the club needs a change of dynamic. Thinking about the club and the players, I think they will be freed and calmer. As a club man, I think the best thing to do is to leave on June 30. That said, I will give everything I have for the remaining four months, I think we can have a good season and I hope the dynamic changes», He added, before specifying that he had not yet informed his players of this decision.
“I didn’t tell the players, tomorrow I will talk to them, today I saw them very disappointed, that’s one of the reasons for this change, they don’t deserve the situation we are going through. There is very good human quality, a very good team and what happens is often inexplicable. We must be courageous as we were when we arrived, and not cling to the position and the contract. It’s a situation that needs to be resolved that way.”
