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Barcelona Sack Xavi After Trophyless Season, Flick Tipped to Replace

Barcelona announced on Friday that they have parted ways with coach Xavi Hernandez following a disappointing season without any trophies. This decision comes just weeks after Xavi and club president Joan Laporta had agreed that he would remain in his position.

Barcelona Sack Xavi

Xavi is set to manage the team for their final La Liga match against Sevilla on Sunday before officially departing.

“Barcelona president Joan Laporta has informed Xavi Hernandez that he will not continue as coach for the 2024-25 season,” the club stated.

Hansi Flick, former coach of Bayern Munich and the German national team, is the leading candidate to succeed Xavi.

In January, Xavi had indicated that he would leave at the end of the season. However, following a strong run of form, he and Laporta agreed in April that he would stay on, with his contract set to expire in June 2025.

The situation took a turn when Spanish media reported that Laporta was displeased with Xavi’s remarks about the financial difficulties Barcelona faced, making it challenging to compete with Real Madrid and other top European clubs.

“Barcelona would like to thank Xavi for his efforts as coach, complementing his unparalleled career as a player and captain of the first team. We wish him all the best for the future,” continued the club’s statement.

“In the coming days, Barcelona will announce the new coaching structure for the first team.”

Last season, Barcelona won La Liga but failed to defend their title this season. They were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals, lost to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, and were defeated by Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey.

Xavi’s agreement to stay in April seemed like a marriage of convenience for both parties. “It’s great news that Xavi is staying,” Laporta said on April 25. “The team, with its very young players, needs stability. Xavi is a role model for them, and today I’m particularly pleased. The board has unanimously supported this decision.”

However, less than a month later, Laporta changed his mind. Despite Xavi’s recent insistence that he was looking forward to coaching the team next season and felt supported by Laporta, the decision to let him go was made.

Xavi was appointed in November 2021 to replace Ronald Koeman, with the goal of restoring Barcelona to its former glory after years of European struggles since their 2015 Champions League victory.

As a player, Xavi made 767 appearances for Barcelona, second only to Lionel Messi. He won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies among other honors. Despite his dream of coaching Barcelona, by January he had described the job as “cruel” and mentally taxing.

Hansi Flick, 59, is expected to replace Xavi. Flick has been without a coaching position since being dismissed by Germany in 2023 after a series of poor results. He previously led Bayern Munich to a treble in 2020, which included an 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

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