Xavi’s dismissal explained: Barcelona president Joan Laporta finally opens up on the real reason behind his decision
After a period of instability under Ronald Koeman, Barcelona decided to bring in club legend Xavi Hernandez to lead their sporting project. In his first full season, he managed to win a LaLiga title and a Spanish Super Cup. Despite this, the team fell into a slump of poor results that resulted in his surprise dismissal. After some time of silence, President Joan Laporta reveals the real reason that led him to make this decision.
Xavi Hernandez restored excitement among fans by reintroducing an attacking style of play that had been missing in recent years. By relying on young players like Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, and Marc Casado, the team regained its top form. However, defensive issues impacted their performance. The coach even mentioned in a press conference that the team needed reinforcements and time to compete, a statement that did not sit well with Joan Laporta.
“I heard him say in a press conference that he and the team would need two years to be competitive. I thought: ‘What is this?’… He later spoke with Deco about the possibility of changing several first-team players. As you know, I have a lot of respect for Xavi, and his words affected me deeply. We’ve had to make tough decisions before with Messi, Alba, Busquets, Pique, even with Xavi and Koeman,” Joan Laporta said, via Esport3.
The dismissal of Xavi Hernandez was quite painful for fans, overshadowing the impact he had on Barcelona. Although Hansi Flick has brought stability to the team, it was the Spanish coach who sowed the seeds for the return of the offensive style of play and the unwavering commitment to young talents like Pedri, Gavi, Fermin, and Lamine, now key members of the squad. Moreover, the coach restored the fans’ lost enthusiasm.
Xavi Hernandez acknowledges the mistake that led to his Barcelona dismissal
If Xavi Hernandez’s tenure at Barcelona was not particularly successful, then many fans considered Ronald Koeman’s period to be disastrous. The Dutchman managed to secure only one Copa del Rey title, with his best decision being to entrust Pedri, an 18-year-old, as a key midfielder. Consequently, Xavi’s arrival significantly boosted the standards for the players. However, the Spaniard coach acknowledges the mistake that ultimately cost him his position at the club.
“I began my coaching career at Barça with high expectations for the players and the club, as the club was coming off a period where there weren’t many demands… My mistake was to maintain those high standards for only one year, from the time I arrived until we won La Liga, the Super Cup… Some time later, I was able to be self-critical and said to myself: ‘Damn it, what happened to me?’,” Xavi Hernandez said, at a conference at Universidad ESIC.
Instead of blaming others for his dismissal, Xavi recognizes that he betrayed a key principle: Maintaining high demands on the pitch. Defensive mistakes were not the only issue; there was also a noticeable lack of intensity during games. While the coach admits he was not demanding enough, Pedri asserts that, under Hansi Flick, they are working much harder than before, taking a dig at Xavi Hernandez’s training methods.