Xavi charges against Laporta in explosive rant – ‘Barça is practically run by Alejandro Echevarria’ | OneFootball

With only a week remaining before the presidential elections at FC Barcelona, former coach Xavi Hernandez stepped into the spotlight through an interview with La Vanguardia, during which he hit out at Joan Laporta and his trusted aide, Alejandro Echevarria.

Xavi was brought in as manager by Laporta in 2021, a few months after winning the presidential elections.

However, in 2024, the ex-president and current presidential candidate decided to part ways with the former midfielder, with the handling of the club legend’s departure far from ideal.

Xavi opens up

While Xavi has largely maintained silence on the circumstances of his exit, he opened up in the interview and made some startling revelations.

“After my departure, I decided not to make any statements out of respect for Barça. People know how much I love the club; my whole family are Barça fans,” he said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

“But I feel the need to explain myself. I’ve been carrying this inside and I need to clarify things,” he added.

Starting things off, the ex-manager admitted how his relationship with Laporta was a positive one before, which even led to his appointment, but things went downhill in his final season, with Alejandro Echevarria seemingly at the centre of it.

“In fact, I signed for Barça thanks to him, but he ended up letting me down. Why? He dismissed me as coach without telling me the truth, influenced by someone I believe is above the president, Alejandro Echevarria,” said Xavi.

“In other words, it was Alejandro who dismissed me as coach. That’s how this Barça works, it’s practically run by Alejandro Echevarria,” he asserted.

Further lashing out at him, Xavi added: “He was someone with whom I had a very close friendly relationship. That’s why perhaps the biggest disappointment in my departure from Barça was with him. He failed me completely.”

A complete breakdown of relationship between Xavi and Laporta. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Xavi then walked through the sequence of events leading to his exit. In January 2024, he told the club that he would leave at the end of the campaign. But the club, led by Laporta, convinced him to make a U-turn on his decision.

“In January of my last season as coach, I told them that I wouldn’t continue after June for the good of the club and for my own personal good,” recalled Xavi.

“From then on, the team kept winning, and for two or three months, until we lost in the Champions League to PSG and in La Liga to Real Madrid, they kept telling me I had to stay, trying to convince me.”

Xavi revealed that he even held a direct meeting with Echevarria, saying: “I actually had a face-to-face meeting with Alejandro because I know he’s the one who makes all the decisions, and I asked him how he saw it.

“I said, ‘Look, I have doubts because you’re telling me to continue, but I’m not sure.’ And he told me yes, they were preparing for next year, planning, that the president was clear about it… And then came the elimination against PSG….”

The UCL loss to PSG changed things, Xavi stated: “At that moment, Alejandro called me, I remember because I was coming from school with the kids, and said we had to meet, that they’d had a board meeting and most of them weren’t sure about my continuing.

“Alejandro told me to come to the training ground, and I told him there was no problem, that I had already said I was leaving and didn’t need to continue.” 

But the decision was then reversed after what Xavi described as the ‘sushi dinner’ at Laporta’s house, as he recalled:

“At the president’s house, Laporta, who later also didn’t tell the truth, convinced me to continue. He said, and I quote: ‘Xavi, I can’t see the team without you, I can’t see the new Camp Nou without you, I can’t see the club’s 125th anniversary without you as coach.’

“And, since I still had motivation and saw a great future for the team with the talented young generation coming up, I felt capable. I only asked for one change in the squad.”

However, he claims the situation changed again during a later planning meeting with his staff and the new physical trainers, Raul Martinez and Julio Tous, who had been agreed upon with Echevarria and sporting director Deco.

“What was the problem? A planning meeting arrived with my entire staff and with Raul Martinez and Julio Tous, new physical trainers we had agreed with Alejandro and Deco would join,” Xavi said.

“That’s when Alejandro started shouting that the physical preparation was a disaster. And was it true? It was talked about in the media… I interrupted him and told him that wasn’t the case.

“There are statistics that show that since 2003, no Barça team has run more than our league champion. We never lost due to physical issues. That was the story they told.”

“They wanted to get rid of me as coach. And one of those who contributed was Raul Martinez, another close friend who bought into Alejandro’s story to get rid of me,” he commented.

When asked if it was Echevarria who fired him, Xavi said that he had asked him a question during a conversation.

“I asked him what his exact position was, because Deco, the sporting director, and Bojan, his assistant, were present. That’s when he decided I wouldn’t be continuing, but instead of telling me to my face and saying, ‘Look, you’re out,’ two or three weeks went by.” 

Attempt at sabotaging relationship with players

Xavi has hit out at Laporta and Echevarria. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Xavi also claimed that Echevarria spread rumours among several players. He says the adviser spoke with footballers and told them that the former manager was trying to get rid of them.

“They launched a media campaign against me, and what’s worse and more disappointing, Alejandro went around talking to players like Sergi Roberto, Araujo, Pedri, and Raphinha, telling them that I wanted to sell them,” he asserted.

Continuing, Xavi added: “That still hurts because it’s not true. We made a plan because we were very constrained by Fair Play regulations, and we only discussed making one sale.

“In fact, we planned it with Jordi and Mateu; we were only letting go of one player. Which player? I prefer not to say out of respect for that player.”

Xavi also described how communication suddenly stopped during that period, as he said:

“I remember those two or three weeks went by without him answering my calls or messages. I trusted Laporta, and Alejandro was my friend, but he’s the one who kicked me out of the club.

“There was a moment when Sergi Roberto, who is my friend and was captain, came to me and said, ‘Xavi, do you really not want me to continue?’ And I told him it was the complete opposite, that they were killing me precisely for defending his renewal.

“And then he told me that Mr. Alejandro was spreading that same message to several players.”

Xavi defended his honest relationship with the players, saying: “I’ve always been upfront. I did it with Piqué, a teammate for years, and with Jordi Alba, my friend, I told him it was time to leave. Why wouldn’t I do it with the others?”

He also criticised Laporta in this regard. “I’ve been holding back, but the president is saying I wanted ten players to leave, and that’s not true,” he asserted.

Xavi also focused on Deco, a former teammate and current sporting director: “I respect him, but Deco is tied down by Echevarria, who is the one who really decides.”

Concluding, when asked about his recent endorsement of candidate Victor Font, Xavi denied that it had anything to do with a return to Barça.

“Right now, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Barça. I’ve already completed my time as a player and coach,” he concluded.