Dispute with club boss

Official: Barcelona sack coach Xavi!

(Bild: AP)

So now it's official! After the eternal back and forth, FC Barcelona has now pulled the ripcord and sacked its coach Xavi. The Spaniard had recently criticized the Catalans' financial situation - an action that did not suit president Joan Laporta at all ...

FC Barcelona is parting ways with coach Xavi Hernandez at the end of the season. As the Catalans announced on Friday, the 44-year-old will play his last game as Barca coach on Sunday evening in the final round of the Spanish soccer league at Sevilla FC. Four weeks ago, Xavi was confirmed by the club as coach for the coming season. The Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported on Friday that Hansi Flick is to be presented as his successor on Monday.

According to the report, a decisive telephone conversation between the 59-year-old and Barça sporting director Deco took place last Wednesday. However, details such as the duration of the contract are still to be clarified. A one-year contract with an option to extend is said to be under discussion. Several media outlets had previously reported that Flick was once again a hot candidate for the top club.

"All the luck in the world"
Flick, most recently the German team manager, is therefore considered the favorite of the club's management after an unprecedented back and forth in recent weeks led to Xavi's departure. "FC Barcelona would like to thank Xavi for his work as a coach, as well as for his inimitable career as a player and team captain," the club wrote, wishing him "all the luck in the world".

Barcelona's club legend had announced his retirement in January after the end of this season. Flick was already being touted as a possible successor at the time. The first U-turn followed in April, when Xavi, president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco agreed to continue working together until at least 2025.

Public criticism
The 44-year-old 2010 world champion had recently made public statements about the club's financial situation and the lack of international competitiveness of its squad, which are said to have massively angered the Barça management.

The fact that his advisor Pini Zahavi has a good relationship with Laporta speaks in favor of Flick as a potential successor. He also has a good reputation in Spain because, as coach of Bayern Munich, he defeated FC Barcelona 8:2 in the quarter-finals on the way to winning the Champions League in 2020.