Barcelona, May 24, 2024 – In a shock move, Barcelona has announced the departure of head coach Xavi Hernandez following a trophyless campaign.
The Catalan giants confirmed the club legend’s exit just weeks after he and president Joan Laporta had agreed he would remain in the role for next season.
Xavi, 44, will take charge of Barca’s final La Liga match against Sevilla on Sunday before departing the Camp Nou. “Barcelona president Joan Laporta has told Xavi Hernandez he will not continue as coach for the 2024-25 season,” the club said in a statement.
Former Bayern Munich and Germany boss Hansi Flick is the heavy favorite to replace Xavi in the Barcelona dugout. The 59-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by the German national team in 2023 following a poor run of results.
Xavi’s exit comes as a surprise, having only recently committed his future to the club. In April, he and Laporta agreed he would stay on, with his contract set to expire in June 2025. However, reports suggest Laporta was angered by Xavi’s comments about the club’s financial struggles hampering their ability to compete with Real Madrid and Europe’s elite.
“Barcelona want to thank Xavi for his work as coach, which adds to his unmatchable career as a player and the captain of the first team, and wish him all the best in the future,” the club’s statement continued. “In the coming days, Barcelona will reveal the new coaching structure for the first team staff.”
Xavi returned to the Camp Nou as head coach in November 2021, tasked with reviving the club’s fortunes after years of struggle in Europe following their 2015 Champions League triumph. As a player, he made 767 appearances for the Catalan giants, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues among other honors.
Despite winning La Liga last season, Barca were unable to defend their crown in the current campaign. They were also knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Paris Saint-Germain, suffered a humbling defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, and lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey.
Xavi had previously expressed reservations about the job, describing it as “cruel” and taking a toll on him mentally. However, he insisted over the past fortnight that he was looking forward to coaching the club next season and felt he had the confidence of Laporta.
