Long after Xavi’s exit at Barça: Laporta reveals more background | OneFootball

In May 2024, the hoped-for second era of Xavi at FC Barcelona was already over after two and a half years. President Joan Laporta shared more background on the separation in a media round.

"Xavi had announced his departure himself and said he would leave at the end of the season. Then he asked me for a meeting at my home to explain that he actually wanted to continue and felt the need to do so," said the 63-year-old.

When Laporta asked if Xavi still believed in the team, Xavi reportedly replied: "I believe 100 percent—I will make champions out of these players."

A few days passed after this conversation, and then Laporta felt quite fooled by some statements made by the then-coach at a press conference.

"A week later, I heard him say that he and the team would need two years to be competitive. I thought: 'What's that about?'

Later, according to Laporta, Xavi spoke with Deco about the possibility of replacing several first-team players. This also didn't necessarily give the impression that he believed 100 percent in the team. In short, the withdrawal from his resignation suddenly didn't look positive and ultimately had consequences.

"As you know, I have great respect for Xavi, and his words deeply affected me. We already had to make difficult decisions—with Messi, Alba, Busquets, Piqué, even with Xavi and Koeman... but at FC Barcelona, the institution always comes first. It stands above the players, the presidents, and the coaches," Laporta concluded regarding the Xavi case.

The fact that the topic is currently resurfacing in the media also has a reason. Recently, Xavi announced his support for Victor Font, the opponent of incumbent Joan Laporta, ahead of the FC Barcelona presidential election.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 LLUIS GENE - AFP or licensors