“President, I’d like to talk with you.”
Barcelona’s traumatic 5-3 dwelling defeat in opposition to Villarreal prompted an agitated night behind the scenes at their momentary dwelling floor on Montjuic on Saturday.
Membership executives instantly held an pressing assembly after the ultimate whistle on the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, simply subsequent to the VIP bins, the place different board members have been nonetheless having dinner.
Alongside Barca president Joan Laporta was vice-president Rafa Yuste, sporting director Deco, director Enric Masip and Laporta’s closest confidant, Alejandro Echevarria. The subject of debate was Xavi’s place. At that assembly, Laporta determined he needed to keep true to the convictions he had held over the previous few weeks and maintain Xavi as supervisor.
Instantly, because the assembly got here to an finish, he felt his cellphone buzzing.
Xavi’s message to Laporta asking to talk prompted a dramatic flip of occasions. Prime executives feared the supervisor had determined to desert his function that exact same evening, leaving Barcelona in a troublesome place. The choice had already been made to not sack him, partly as a result of it might have been laborious to usher in a substitute because of the monetary state of the membership. Barca are over La Liga’s restrict on wage spending, which makes it robust to register new gamers; the foundations apply to managers’ wages, too.
One of many executives current at that assembly even texted Xavi again, asking him to not “take ultimate selections in heated moments” and to “let the state of affairs quiet down”.
However Barcelona’s legendary former midfielder, who led them to the Spanish league title in his first full season in cost final time period, had made his thoughts up. He couldn’t maintain carrying the identical quantity of strain and wanted to inform the board.
Properly-placed Barca sources — who, like all these cited right here, most popular to talk anonymously to guard their positions — advised The Athletic that Laporta was very stunned by how effectively Xavi articulated his message after they ultimately spoke and that he rapidly understood this was a call he had deeply thought of.
The supervisor’s want to step down not now however on the finish of the season would additionally give them a while to make plans and Laporta accepted his request.
On this piece, we clarify:
- How Barcelona’s toxicity ended up carrying down Xavi, a person who is aware of the membership in addition to anybody however who may nonetheless not escape its distinctive pressures and noticed his household affected
- When Xavi made his choice and why it ended up being revealed so abruptly, with gamers listening to the information by way of social media
- How the dressing room reacted, with some relationships with the supervisor deteriorating and others open to seeing him staying
- What went mistaken from final season and why, regardless of being a person of the membership in robust instances, gamers and executives believed Xavi ended up underperforming
“Xavi slept higher tonight than he had in a very long time,” sources near him advised The Athletic on Sunday morning. They stated he felt liberated after making recognized his choice to go away the membership on June 30 — and so did his entourage.
The coach had been mulling over the choice for months, but it surely was solely after the 4-1 defeat in opposition to Actual Madrid within the Supercopa de Espana ultimate that he made it recognized to these closest to him: his brother and assistant supervisor Oscar Hernandez, his spouse Nuria Cunillera and some most trusted members of his workers. Not many knew.
They’d devised a plan to make his choice public, with the thought to inform the gamers at a coaching session the day earlier than a match over the upcoming weeks. He would then give a press convention with the board to clarify it to the media. As an alternative, all the things got here to a head after Saturday’s recreation with Villarreal.
Barca misplaced the match regardless of getting back from two objectives down to steer 3-2, struggling a 3-5 defeat that leaves them fourth within the desk, 11 factors off shock La Liga leaders Girona (on whom they’ve a recreation in hand) and 10 factors behind rivals Actual Madrid.
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The defeat basically noticed them say goodbye to a 3rd competitors in 15 days. First, the Supercopa de Espana, then the Copa del Rey (Athletic Bilbao knocked them out final week), now an virtually definitive farewell to the league title they have been defending.
After the ultimate whistle, Xavi did a number of flash interviews with broadcasters and no one may have guessed what was going to occur subsequent.
After Xavi wrote the message to Laporta, he communicated to the board that he was leaving the place. In response to sources near the coach, he then went to search out the gamers within the dressing room, hoping to inform them himself earlier than they heard it elsewhere.
In their very own post-match interviews, Frenkie de Jong, Joao Cancelo and Ronald Araujo had all strongly defended the coach, with De Jong saying: “It’s our fault, not the coach’s.”
Xavi wished to speak to them, however by the point he was ready to, over an hour after the ultimate whistle, they’d all left the stadium already.
Barcelona conceded two late objectives in opposition to Villarreal (David Ramos/Getty Photos)
Xavi had already stated a number of instances at current press conferences that if he ever grew to become “an issue” for the membership, he would depart.
There have been a number of causes behind the choice.
After struggling one other defeat, Xavi may see per week of polls within the media coming, asking whether or not Laporta ought to sack him or not — a turbulent week by which Barca needed to play two video games that have been now key to maintaining the tempo within the race for Spain’s Champions League spots.
He wished to calm the waters and face the tip of the season with out the additional stress and uncertainty. He felt the membership wanted a change and the most effective factor to do was to make it clear that he can be leaving.
However there was additionally another excuse. In response to sources near Xavi, he was fed up. The toxicity of being within the Barca setting not solely affected his temper but additionally had penalties for his closest household.
Membership sources noticed him as being overwhelmed. These sources additionally stated that some Barca board members had been calling for his head for a while and that this additionally affected him, although Laporta had defended him. He felt this solely added strain to an already vital setting.
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When Xavi left his assembly with the board after Saturday’s recreation, his solely concern was how the gamers have been going to take it. He felt dangerous that he had not spoken to them earlier. His announcement took the squad by whole shock.
When the supervisor and gamers did lastly get an opportunity to talk at coaching the next morning, a number of membership sources advised The Athletic that the group was affectionate in direction of him. A few of them approached Xavi on the finish of the session to ask him if there was something they may do to make him rethink and keep.
Xavi and Lewandowski embrace throughout Saturday’s defeat (Alex Caparros/Getty Photos)
It is perhaps stunning to listen to that Xavi, a person who spent half his life at Barcelona and is aware of the ins and outs of the establishment higher than presumably anybody else, simply couldn’t cope with its distinctive calls for. However this was truly a significant factor behind his choice to step down.
“During the last weeks, you might see that he was not going by way of a very good time,” a membership supply stated. “He was not having fun with his work and he was particularly affected by the actual fact all of the strain was not simply impacting him, however his household.”
The membership’s hierarchy anticipated Xavi to cope with the calls for of the job in a extra wholesome approach given his background. Xavi performed for Barcelona for 17 years, making 767 appearances (solely Lionel Messi has extra, with 782) and successful 25 trophies.
Strain has grown on him because the begin of his tenure in November 2021. He arrived at a troublesome time for the membership, amid monetary struggles and with a weakened squad, however because the years glided by and persistence ranges have been examined, Xavi started to face the form of criticism any supervisor deemed to be underperforming will likely be subjected to at Barca. This grew to become an issue for him.
“He targeted an excessive amount of on figuring out all the things that was stated round him and even adopted every day radio programmes and TV reveals,” a membership supply stated. “He additionally learn the press an excessive amount of, and it didn’t do Xavi any favours.”
Those that have labored with Xavi on his backroom workers level to the strain of the cruel Barcelona ‘entorno’ as the principle purpose for the supervisor’s downfall.
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The Spanish phrase ‘entorno’, actually translated as setting or environment, was coined by Barca legend Johan Cruyff when he was the supervisor in 1992 to explain the noise that’s always generated across the membership: the media, the followers, the politics of its govt board, or different main figures throughout town and wider Catalonia area.
“Right here, everybody belongs to at least one aspect or ideology,” a membership supply stated. “Each journalist, media outlet or one that may give an opinion has their very own agenda and makes use of no matter occurs on the pitch to show the tide to their favour. There have been fixed assaults on Xavi and barely ever a will to construct on and assist the undertaking.”
But it surely’s not solely within the media the place Xavi felt not noted and mistreated: he’s been progressively remoted throughout the membership as effectively.
Xavi was conscious that a number of Barcelona executives have been criticising the workforce’s performances for months, in addition to an alleged lack of depth within the coaching periods his workers led. Some have been even pushing for president Laporta to sack him after the Supercopa de Espana ultimate.
Wanting again to the tip of final season, simply after Barca gained La Liga, there have been indicators of Xavi’s affect being eroded. The day after the bus parade by way of town, the place the Spanish league title was celebrated with followers, then-sporting director Jordi Cruyff introduced he can be leaving.
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Cruyff and Xavi had established a detailed bond. The Dutchman was an ally to the Catalan’s imaginative and prescient of how the squad ought to be assembled and defended it to the board of administrators. However Barcelona’s senior administration was already engaged on the arrival of Deco within the sporting route division and Cruyff ultimately felt there was no area left for him.
Only a few months later, Cruyff’s associate within the function, Mateu Alemany, additionally left. Regardless of initially not being as near Xavi as his colleague, over the past months of his tenure, they’d labored collectively in planning for the longer term.
When Alemany departed in August and Deco stepped up as the principle chief within the sporting route division, it left the latter and Laporta as the 2 most energetic voices in shaping the squad.
Xavi has publicly said his relationship with former team-mate Deco is completely superb, however final summer time’s switch exercise merely reveals how his place has been weakened.
The most important funding Barca made through the low season was in 18-year-old Brazilian striker Vitor Roque, for whom the membership paid €30million (£25.5m; $32.5m), plus a possible €31m extra in add-ons. Roque has performed 86 minutes in 5 matches since arriving this winter, not beginning a single recreation. Within the supervisor’s eyes, he has been behind 18-year-old La Masia graduate Marc Guiu within the pecking order.
Xavi’s greatest precedence final summer time was the addition of a brand new holding midfielder to switch membership legend Sergio Busquets, who left to hitch Inter Miami. Whereas the supervisor put the names of Martin Zubimendi, Joshua Kimmich or Marcelo Brozovic as his three priorities, Barcelona have been solely ready to usher in Oriol Romeu, whose influence has been disappointing, to say the least.
Additional proof of Xavi’s waning energy throughout the membership got here within the build-up to the ultimate recreation of the Champions League group stage this season, away at Royal Antwerp, which they misplaced 3-2. With Barcelona virtually certified, the membership’s board interfered within the supervisor’s squad choice, pushing him to make all of the workforce’s prime weapons journey as a substitute of giving them a relaxation, as had been his intention.
All this doesn’t exempt Xavi from a share of accountability over what has undoubtedly been a disappointing follow-up marketing campaign to the success of 2022-23. When it comes to recruitment, he has nonetheless been part of the membership and has sanctioned the strikes which have taken place. He may, and maybe ought to, have raised his voice as quickly as his authority started to come back beneath menace. Whenever you spot issues contained in the membership however don’t stand of their approach in some method, you would possibly as effectively be thought of a part of it.
Xavi alongside his brother and assistant coach Oscar Hernandez (Gongora/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos)
It must also be famous that Xavi was closely backed available in the market throughout Barca’s notorious ‘summer time of levers’, when, again in 2022, the membership made a collection of future asset gross sales to finance a transformative spend within the switch market.
None of these signings (Ferran Torres, Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde) may be, proper now, deemed as a profitable deal.
All of them have been closely uncovered and contrasted by the brilliance of a number of rising La Masia abilities, with 16-year-old Lamine Yamal (who made his debut aged 15 final season) the most important attacking menace for the membership in current weeks. Pau Cubarsi has simply turned 17 and has impressed extra at centre-back in two video games than Christensen or Kounde have all season.
A couple of months into the 2023-24 marketing campaign, teaching workers sources complained about final summer time’s signings and assessed their attacking line as being removed from the most effective within the nation, however there’s a brutal actuality in Xavi’s tenure: he’s been unable to make the workforce progress regardless of having been financially supported with transfers.
“He has not proven his gamers that he has the tactical stage to be thought of a top-level coach,” stated a supply near one of many present Barcelona gamers. The very fact Xavi’s solely managerial expertise earlier than touchdown at Camp Nou was in Qatar additionally performed a component of their evaluation.
Nevertheless, Xavi’s belief within the children from La Masia can’t go unnoticed. Fermin Lopez, Yamal, Cubarsi and Hector Fort are all names that many now imagine are able to enjoying on the membership for years. With different managers, they could have struggled to discover a pathway to the primary workforce.
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However equally, Barca’s supervisor has additionally needed to cope with the deterioration of the dressing room’s concord beneath his watch, with a number of examples already reported by The Athletic not too long ago.
Earlier than the beginning of the season, Kounde advised Xavi he didn’t take pleasure in being performed as a right-back and that he would favor for use in his pure central defensive place. This noticed membership captain Araujo being relocated as a right-back extra recurrently, however he has ended up complaining about this, too. Christensen has turn into disgruntled over persistently being the primary participant to be dropped when everybody in defence is match regardless of by no means complaining and performing effectively final time period.
There’s additionally the case of Lewandowski, arguably the membership’s key senior participant, who has seen his place on the membership, and relationship with the supervisor, change considerably all through the previous 12 months.
The 35-year-old has devolved from a dressing room function mannequin to an expendable asset within the eyes of the teaching workers. In response to sources near the participant’s camp, the striker’s dip in type because the World Cup break for Qatar 2022 owes extra to a change in system that didn’t profit him, though they admit he’s been removed from his greatest. Lewandowski himself spoke to The Athletic about such issues throughout Barca’s pre-season tour of the US.
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In some ways, a lot of that is all a part of the traditional working of an elite soccer membership. No one can anticipate prime athletes to be glad when issues aren’t going the best way they deliberate and a number of the examples talked about above are actually thought to have been handled. Others haven’t been tackled in time.
There may be nonetheless part of the dressing room that actually believes within the supervisor, particularly gamers who broke into the primary workforce due to him or ones who got a second likelihood.
Some 20 minutes after Xavi revealed his choice on Saturday evening, Gavi posted an image with the supervisor on social media with a caption that learn: “At all times backing you, boss.” Native radio station Cadena SER Barcelona reported that, on Sunday morning, membership captain Sergi Roberto advised Xavi in entrance of the entire dressing room that he’d help him if modified his thoughts and determined to remain.
The underside line, although, is that Xavi himself doesn’t imagine he can flip the state of affairs round.
Joan Laporta and Xavi on the day the Barca legend was introduced as supervisor in 2021 (Lluis Gene/AFP by way of Getty Photos)
Xavi stated he couldn’t perceive why his workforce misplaced within the Copa del Rey in opposition to Athletic Bilbao. He additionally believed they deserved to win in opposition to Villarreal and particularly in opposition to Girona in December’s La Liga assembly — a defeat that badly broken him within the eyes of Barca’s hierarchy.
There was additionally a way that Xavi failed in makes an attempt to enhance the narrative together with his phrases in press conferences. He went from defending gamers to then calling them out by admitting they weren’t following what he practised in coaching. He additionally described perspective issues after struggling to beat bottom-side Almeria on the finish of December and promised followers his workforce would by no means replicate that. Three weeks later, Barca have been being outplayed and outrun by Actual Madrid in Saudi Arabia.
So, what now?
There may be nonetheless the opportunity of Xavi not lasting the remainder of the season if he doesn’t handle to reverse the workforce’s dynamic within the 4 months remaining. The board has taken the choice to attend and see. Membership sources advised The Athletic that the supervisor has already written off any wage associated to subsequent season.
Barcelona’s board are already on the lookout for a brand new supervisor. Throughout his marketing campaign for the Barcelona presidential elections again in 2021, Laporta stated his desire was to usher in a German coach at a time when Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann have been at their peak.
Nevertheless, there are sections of the board which might be very hesitant to usher in a coach who doesn’t converse Spanish as they imagine it might make the state of affairs tougher. They need to see how the gamers react; in the event that they combat to climb the desk and go so far as potential within the Champions League.
Xavi tried all the things and nothing labored. Sacrificing himself was his final determined transfer; one to ease the strain across the gamers and defend his legacy on the membership.
On the similar time, it pushes Joan Laporta and his board to identify additional issues inside Barcelona and resolve who has to steer the membership’s new undertaking for the foreseeable future.
(Prime picture: Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Photos; design: Eamonn Dalton)