Barely a few weeks after his decision to stay at Barcelona, coach Xavi still seems to be on his way out. But not by choice: some of Xavi’s statements would have gone down the wrong way with the chairman. “He will be fired on Sunday,” Spanish media say.
At the end of April, chairman Joan Laporta was still “pleased” that he had managed to convince Xavi to remain head coach, but now he seems to be taking a 180-degree turn. What went wrong?
Some of Xavi’s statements were received incorrectly by the board this week. “20 years ago, the Barcelona coach said: “I want that player, that player and that player”. That is no longer possible,” said Xavi.
“The economic situation has changed. We don’t have the same opportunities as Real Madrid or other European teams. But that doesn’t mean we don’t play for trophies. We just need time.”
“The goal is to improve by recruiting new players. If we don’t change, we won’t get better.”
It turned out to be fuel on the fire for the Barça board. After those statements, Laporta and sporting director Deco decided not to travel to Almeria. A clear signal to Xavi.
Nobody told me anything. There are no changes for my future.
Xavi
22 days after choosing to stay, leaving suddenly seems like an option again. At the press conference after the 0-2 victory, Xavi dismissed speculation about his future.
“Nobody told me anything. There are no changes for my future. I just said what the club’s situation is. We will fight for it, but the circumstances are not easy.”
Yet the Barça coach sounded a bit more combative. “I really want Barcelona to win titles again. This year we weren’t good enough, but we have already come closer.”
According to Spanish media, this will not save Xavi’s skin. RAC1, Sport and El Mundo Deportivo report that Laporta has decided to kick the 44-year-old coach after all.
Xavi’s dismissal would be announced after the home match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, in which Barça can secure 2nd place.
Related:
2024-05-17 09:50:24
#soap #Barcelona #Xavi #fired #Sunday #Spanish #media #report
