Barcelona Football Club is reportedly deliberating the possibility of parting ways with head coach Xavi Hernandez, citing recent comments made by the former midfielder that seems to have unsettled the club’s board.
Xavi, who initially declared his intention to step down at the conclusion of the season, was persuaded to extend his tenure by club president Joan Laporta.
However, remarks made by Xavi during a recent news conference have apparently irked the board, leading to considerations of his dismissal.
In his comments, Xavi acknowledged the economic challenges facing Barcelona, suggesting that it would be arduous to financially compete with Spanish rivals like Real Madrid and other European powerhouses.
He emphasized the need for stability and time amid the current situation.
“I think that Barca fans need to understand that the situation is really difficult, especially economically, to compete with Real Madrid in Spain and others in Europe,” Xavi remarked.
The club’s apparent discontent with Xavi’s remarks comes amidst a period of significant success for Real Madrid, who have already secured the La Liga title and progressed to the final of the Champions League.
Furthermore, Real is set to bolster their squad with the acquisition of French forward Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain in the upcoming transfer window.
Barcelona finds themselves trailing Real Madrid by 14 points in the league standings with only two matches remaining in the season.
Their Champions League campaign this season ended at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to PSG.
Barcelona B team manager Rafael Marquez is reportedly the frontrunner to succeed Xavi as head coach should the club decide to part ways with the former Spain international.
Xavi took charge of Barcelona in November 2021 after departing Qatari club Al Sadd and enjoyed immediate success, guiding the team to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022-23.
