Xavi Hernández to stay on as Barcelona head coach in dramatic U-turn
- Following a meeting with the president and board of Bayern Munich and discussions with Austrian manager Ralf Rangnick, Xavi decides to stay.
- Xavi Hernández surprises with a dramatic U-turn, opting to remain as Barcelona head coach, altering the club’s managerial landscape.
In a stunning about-face, Xavi Hernández will continue as Barcelona’s head coach.
Following a meeting with the board and president of Bayern Munich and discussions with Austrian manager Ralf Rangnick, Xavi decides to stay.
Following a meeting on Wednesday with Joan Laporta, the club president, and the board, Xavi Hernández has decided to continue on as head coach instead of leaving Barcelona at the conclusion of the season.
Outside Laporta’s house, where talks had taken place, Barcelona vice president Rafa Yuste told reporters, “Xavi will stay, he’s really happy and excited.” Yuste continued, “We’ve never started talks for any other coach.” “Deco, the director of Barcelona, has complete faith in Xavi.” Earlier on Wednesday, Xavi and Deco had a face-to-face meeting, during which Laporta pushed for the head coach’s retention past the summer.
The 44-year-old had earlier declared his intention to leave following a January 5-3 home loss to Villarreal. Xavi has done a spectacular U-turn and is now anticipated to depart Camp Nou before the end of June this year, despite having a contract that runs until the conclusion of the next season.
In order to establish that Xavi will continue in the position he has had since November 2021 as manager for the upcoming season, the club is anticipated to make an official announcement shortly. Whether his contract will be extended past its present expiration date of June 2025 is unknown at this time. Laporta is scheduled to give additional details on Thursday at a press conference.
When he first announced his plan to resign, the former Barcelona captain stated that the team required a “change of direction” and that he could “not allow the situation to continue.” In January, Xavi remarked, “You often feel there is a lack of respect, you feel that your work is not appreciated.”
The disputed 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in the clasico on Sunday marked Barça’s first La Liga setback since the Villarreal loss that sparked Xavi’s statement. The squad lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the Champions League and currently sits second in the standings, 11 points behind Madrid.
Ralf Rangnick and Bayern Munich are negotiating about Thomas Tuchel taking over as the team’s manager. Rangnick has acknowledged that Bayern has gotten in touch with him. This summer, he will lead Austria at Euro 2024.
The former coach of Manchester United and RB Leipzig is in formal talks with Bayern, but before making a choice, he has to know important information about the project, signings, and long-term goals.
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