Xavi does not leave Barcelona because of “tiredness”, but because of the (bad) results | Soccer | Sports

Xavi, during the Barça team’s training to prepare for the LaLiga match against Alavés.Alejandro García (EFE)

“I’m leaving because I’ve been there for two and a half years, and the process of being Barça’s coach is not worth it,” Xavi Hernández confessed yesterday in the press conference prior to the game against Alavés (6:30 p.m.; DAZN), on matchday number 23. of the league. “In other countries perhaps the profession is enjoyed. But, not me,” he added in relation to his decision to leave the Barça club at the end of the season. The coach introduced new variables in his decision, contradictory to what was expressed in his initial story: “I’m not leaving because of fatigue, it’s not mental health. It is not because of you, nor because of the criticism. “I’m not tired of football.” He is leaving, he explained yesterday, because “expectations are not met” and because of the “results” of the campaign: out of the Copa del Rey and eliminated in the semifinals of the Super Cup, Barça is fourth in the 10-10 League points from the leader, Real Madrid. In 123 games in charge of the team, the coach has accumulated 26 defeats: he is the Spanish coach with the most defeats in the club’s history, above the 25 of Juan José Nogués, who coached Barça between 1942 and 1944.

“The work I have done is not valued,” said Xavi three days after announcing his departure. And he added yesterday: “The football people really congratulate us. I think we have done a very good job.”

He continued yesterday: “When I arrived, we had a good season, and we came second. The next year didn’t go very well, and now, in the third, we are not meeting expectations. I made the decision because of this, not because of the criticism. The club needs a change of direction.” The Terrassa coach will be close to completing three seasons at the helm of the team: he arrived in November 2021 to replace Koeman. To find a longer-serving coach you have to go back to Pep Guardiola, who led the bench for four years (from 2008-2009 to 2011-2012).

Although, since Guardiola, He could only lift one King’s Cup. Above are Luis Enrique, with 76.24% – 138 victories in 181 games -, Ernesto Valverde, with 66.89% – 97 out of 145 – and Guardiola, with 72.47% – 179 out of 247 -. In Xavi’s first season, the team had a defeat rate of 21.6%, while in the second it dropped to 20.75% and in the current season it has accumulated 21.21%. “We have lacked continuity in the game to evolve further, especially this season,” explained Xavi.

Against Villarreal, Barcelona conceded five goals. Since August 30, 1994, Barça had not conceded five goals at home. If only the League is taken into account, we would have to go back to January 27, 1963. Just before the match, Xavi already anticipated his farewell. “I hope you miss me too,” he said. And he compared himself to the rest of the coaches who have held his position since Guardiola. “Fortunately or unfortunately, I have had to see coaches suffer. I have seen some here, at Barça, winning the Champions League and suffering for its continuity,” shared the Barça coach.

“I am very grateful to Xavi, because he has always highlighted the effort to improve the squad and have a good team, despite the economic difficulties,” said Laporta. A squad value that has increased year after year since Xavi came to the bench and despite the economic difficulties. This year the team is valued at 850.80 million euros, while the previous year it was 836.80 and the first year of Terrassa at 735.60, according to Transfermarkt.

Ahead are 16 rounds of the League and the round of 16 of the Champions League, the only possible titles for Barcelona. “First, tomorrow [por hoy] Alavés, a difficult rival at home. We have not done our homework and we have not lived up to the competition; and Girona and Madrid, yes. From there I prefer to go step by step,” said the coach. In his pocket, before the end of his mandate, there is already the Super Cup and the League from last season, with the possibility of ending the year blank or hunting for another title in extremis.

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2024-02-03 04:15:00
#Xavi #leave #Barcelona #tiredness #bad #results #Soccer #Sports