Xavi Hernandez Decides to Honour Barcelona Contract Until 2025
Xavi Hernandez decided to change his mind and stay in Barcelona fulfilling his current contract till 2025 to see out the rest of the project as manager of the team where he spent most of his life. Upon announcing he will be leaving the managerial role at Barcelona at the end of the season earlier in the year.
This, following a disastrous 5-3 loss at home (I say at home, but Culers will know the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys simply doesn’t give off half of the feel of the Nou Camp) to Villareal back at the end of January.
Since then, Barcelona’s form started to pick up, and the results started to improve. Some said this was down to a releasement of pressure on the players due to Xavi’s announcement. Others thought it was the team fighting in an attempt to change Xavi’s mind about leaving at the end of the season.
If that was the case, then it worked as just 2 days ago Barcelona president Joan Laporta confirmed that the Barcelona legend has reversed his decision to resign from his managerial duties.
Laporta Persuades Xavi to Continue Amidst Challenges of 2024
Laporta, who was always keen to keep Xavi on board since he announced his decision to leave at the end of the season seems to have convinced the former Barcelona midfield maestro to persevere with his project amongst the contextual issues that come with being Barcelona manager in 2024. Whether you love him or hate him, Xavi had come into a Barcelona team in unprecedented levels of turmoil. Upon taking over from Ronald Koeman in November 2021, Barcelona was sinking in 9th place.
Talks of bankruptcy, Messi’s departure, poor results, restricted signings, multiple injury issues, an ageing squad also still carrying a lot of deadwood from the previous boards completely incompetent, scandalous transfer strategy, and overall mismanagement.
Nonetheless, with the club under the most intense scrutiny, Xavi stepped up by guiding the team to a second-place finish in the league. People seem to forget just how dire the conditions and context in comparison to the pressure of the Barcelona job is especially for a young manager to navigate successfully. Pep said it himself. (As A manager) ‘The pressure you feel at Barcelona is not comparable to anywhere else’. I’ve not listed all of this as an excuse either, that is simply the context.
Overview of Xavi’s Tenure So Far
Xavi’s first full season resulted in winning the La Liga of 2022/23 season, beating Real Madrid to the title in style by clinching it with an away win to local rivals Espanyol, winning the game 4-2. The first League title for Barca since 2018/19. This feat just doesn’t feel like it has given Xavi enough leeway that he deserves when scrutinized this year by the fans but also the media, something that has taken a toll on his mental as you would expect.
However, with Xavi now staying at his admission, the pressure may be even more come next season. Although, I still feel as of right now there is no better man to continue to try and lead the club out of this undeniable period of inferiority. The team since his departure announcement feels like there is a togetherness cultivated by Xavi and his enthusiasm for the club of his life.
Xavi’s Barca are slowly starting to get their act together on the European stage also, with next year’s Champions League run needing to better that of this year, even though the quarter-final against PSG was the furthest Barcelona have gotten since 2019/20.
That game felt like it was in Barca’s hands until Ronald Araujo’s red card and subsequently, the decision to remove Lamine Yamal, shifting the momentum to where Barca played in such a way that encouraged invitations of pressure from PSG which led to the complete capitulation from Barca and Xavi, as he was also given a red card from the dugout.
Xavi Managerial Time at Barca
This has been a recurring theme with Xavi and his managerial time at Barca, definitely one of the things I feel like he needs to work on. His team needs his presence on the touchline, especially in big games where Xavi is known to lose his temper, albeit at some questionable refereeing decisions, the point still stands.
His time as a manager has resulted in more red cards already than his whole time as a player. We completely understand the emotion and passion Xavi carries for this team but Barca cannot expect anything from anyone at this current point in time. Scrutinization will come with minimum sympathy afforded. And, fair enough. Nobody is going to get their violin out for Barcelona.
Developing a Stronger Mentality for Long-Term Success
However, I do feel Xavi and the team should understand this but use it to their advantage as much as possible, viewing it as a way to develop a stronger mentality, and to avoid the energy of victimization allowing itself to creep its way through to the team and the locker room as it has seemed to from time to time throughout the season.
I know Xavi has to protect the players and the club, but as one issue to work on and for the long-term benefits of the team, improving the mentality of the squad would be extremely beneficial to Barca, as for years now it has not seemed this has been at the standard required that matches that of the truly elite teams, especially when looking in terms of the finest margins that we are dealing in today’s modern game.
Whilst stating that, Xavi while playing was key to the most elite Barcelona side in the history of football. So, nobody knows what it means to win with Barca as Xavi does, and maybe that’s partly to blame for some of his shortcomings, but it is also the reason some of his shortcomings can be absolved by fans.
For example, just look at the flourishing developments of the young players that are being promoted through the same La Masia academy that Xavi graduated from. Xavi knows what it’s like to be in the boots of those young players coming through the ranks.
I honestly don’t know if those wonder kids transition so seamlessly into first-team football at a gargantuan institution like Barcelona from ages as young as 15 if the manager was not Xavi Hernandez.
La Masia to save Barca and Xavi’s hopes? (once again)
Whether you agree with that or not, I think a point we can agree on is that Wonder Kids will be extremely happy with the decision for Xavi to stay. The promotion of the likes of Fermin Lopez (20) a tenacious midfielder with intense pressing and good quality ball-striking ability.
Hector Fort (17) progressing through every Barca youth side before making his debut under Xavi in December, can play both right and left fullback positions, known to burst forward whilst also being defensively sound. We also a little bit of Marc Guiu (17) who debuted and scored his first professional goal under Xavi.
Pau Cubarsi (17) has been a revelation at the back, the ‘ideal’ Barcelona ball-playing centre-back to perfectly complement Ronald Araujo’s athletic, more aggressive approach to defending that we have seen to be the antidote to some of the most skilful and speedy attackers in the game today.
Last but most definitely not least Lamine Yamal (16) the teenage prodigy has rapidly become one of the best attackers in the world already for me, and if he isn’t for you, he is undeniably showing signs of having the beautiful gift to be able to decide games on his own accord that has now become such a rarity in the beautiful game.
Embracing Nostalgia and Managing Emerging Talents
Gives off a sense of nostalgia when you see raw artistic creativity on the pitch in today’s game. As much as we aren’t owed any expectations from young players, it does seem we are witnessing the beginning of something special.
And so, Xavi has put his full trust in the talents of Yamal. The conundrum, however, is managing his minutes next year. It’s odd to even debate as to how to go about this as we know a 16-year-old needs time to develop but in the business of football, it is harder to manage his minutes when he is already one of the best and most creative players in the squad. This is a pleasant problem Xavi will need to decide how to manoeuvre throughout next season.
Wrapping Up
All these players promoted under Xavi have covered Barca’s backs; financially by having to look at buying options to cover all these positions that they can’t afford, but also at the heart of the matter which is serving Barca well on the pitch.
Putting in several promising performances throughout the season, and we also eagerly anticipate their development under Xavi.
Encouraging fans to give Xavi their support for next season while admiring some of the key aspects from Xavi’s tenure that Blaugrana fans can think about with honest gratitude and look forward to in excitement for next season’s adventure.
