Could Xavi stay at Barcelona next season? Manager refuses to rule out exit
The Catalan club have, over recent weeks, been less and less convincing when asked if Xavi is certain about his decision to leave.
At the press conference following the defeat against Villarreal (3-5) at the Lluís Companys stadium, Xavi Hernández announced that he would be stepping down as FC Barcelona coach on June 30. It was on January 27 and with this decision he hoped to change the team’s form around and relax his players.
The coach felt that they were under a lot of pressure due to the criticism that was coming their way regarding results and style of play. That day, the coach assured that even if his team a trophy at the end of it all, his resignation was unchangeable.
The announcement has achieved its purpose and the blaugrana have reacted by putting together a streak of six wins and two draws, or in other words, 20 points out of a possible 24 in LaLiga and qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League after eliminating Napoli. FC Barcelona are into second having overtaken Girona during the last match day and are already seen as the main candidate to challenge Real Madrid for the title, which is 8 points away with 8 games to go, with El Clásico looming.
Almost immediately after explaining that he was leaving at the end of the season, speculation about his replacement followed. There was talk of the German route that Joan Laporta is a fan of, with Hansi Flick, Tuchel and Nagelsmann as potential candidates, with Jürgen Klopp the impossible dream.
There was also of the option of Roberto De Zerbi, from Brighton, the manager recommended by Pep Guardiola. The names of Sergio Conceiçao and Thiago Motta also appeared.
However, as the team was improving, doubts surrounding Xavi’s future were growing. The speculatio
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