Why Barcelona have sacked Xavi

Few clubs can compete with Barcelona when it comes to modern-day nonsense.

Barca has been a circus for quite some time, with periods of apparent stability undermined by perpetual financial concerns.

Returning president Joan Laporta and his lever-pulling provided some short-term respite, but Laporta on the whole has failed to oversee the turnaround voters projected when he was re-elected in 2021.

The club is in a shambolic state and there isn't a sequence of events that sums up the madhouse of Catalonia more aptly than the dealing of their managerial situation this term. After a season of U-turns, Barca have opted to cut ties with their La Liga-winning coach before the final game of a disappointing 2023/24 campaign.

Here's why they're parting ways with Xavi.

Why Barcelona have parted ways with Xavi

Xavi's final season at Barca has played out like a soap opera. Following his appointment in 2021, the Spaniard was expected to re-instil the Cruyffian ideals which aided the club's rise to the top of European football on multiple occasions.

While Xavi's title-winners of 2022/23 were far from the swashbuckling iterations of years past, his Barca were defensively supreme and able to rely upon the elite goalscoring talent of Robert Lewandowski in attack.

Their title defence, however, has been miserable. Xavi failed to mitigate a long list of key absences during the first half of the season. In January, having previously cited his struggles with the fabled 'entorno' surrounding the club, he announced he'd be stepping down as manager at the end of the season.

A resurgence thereafter convinced Xavi to change his mind and an image of sporting director Deco, Laporta and Xavi clasping hands in the wake of that decision pointed towards unity. Behind the scenes, though, both Deco and Laporta were scheming.

While Laporta had said he was keen on Xavi reversing his decision to depart, reports suggest the president believed a new manager for 2024/25 would leave the club better off. Laporta's closest allies have wanted Xavi out since December.

More recently, Xavi's comments claiming Barca are unable to compete financially with fierce rivals Real Madrid are thought to have gone down poorly with Laporta.

Deco, meanwhile, was tasked with compiling a technical report on the manager ahead of the meeting between the trio on Friday which ultimately led to Xavi's departure. He will, however, take charge of Barca's final game of the season against Sevilla on Sunday. They will end the La Liga campaign in second but well adrift of champions Madrid, who beat Barca in all three Clasicos this season.

With Xavi still having a year left on his deal, Barca could yet owe their departing manager a hefty compensation package for cutting ties. However, Xavi, well aware of Barca's financial woes, isn't expected to demand the entirety of this fee, believed to be as much a €15m.

Xavi's Barcelona record

Who will replace Xavi as Barcelona manager?

Division has hamstrung the Barca hierarchy all season, with Deco and Laporta also split on who they want to appoint as Xavi's successor.

While Deco is keen on promoting former defender Rafael Marquez from Barca's reserves, Laporta is intent on appointing Champions League-winning coach Hansi Flick.

Flick is expected to take the job, with reports suggesting the German has already signed a deal until 2026.

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