Publicly and privately, Barcelona President Joan Laporta is backing Xavi Hernandez as manager, in spite of a concerning first half of the season, and a defeat to Girona that has set the cat amongst the pigeons. Yet discontent amongst the Barcelona heavyweights means that he will meet with Sporting Director Deco and right-hand man Alejandro Echevarria to discuss his future.
As per Bar Canaletes, a reservation has been made at the Via Veneto steakhouse in the name of Echevarria, where Laporta and Vice-President Rafael Yuste often carry out business meetings, in order to discuss what course of action to take regarding Xavi. Barcelona are currently seven points behind Girona in La Liga, and often have struggled against more modest opposition this season.
📣Notícia en clave Barça: El jueves hay una reserva en el Restaurante #ViaVeneto para un cónclave donde participará la cúpula de la secretaría técnica del FC Barcelona. Tema candente aunque se niegue desde las altas esferas: la continuidad de Xavi Hernández y su posible relevo🚨 pic.twitter.com/nCdZ4XrE5C
— Bar Canaletes (@BarCanaletes) December 11, 2023
It still seems unlikely that Barcelona will pull the trigger on Xavi, at least not now, with it having the potential to send the side into a spiral. Laporta has backed Xavi to his face, and reportedly his manager feels he is trusted, but no longer is it a given that Barcelona plan to continue with him beyond the summer.
Clearly, this latest setback has led Laporta and company to assess their emergency options, one of which is thought to be Rafael Marquez, and their long-term alternatives to Xavi should things get worse, or if they reach the summer without satisfactory performance. Beyond just the results and the play, Xavi is struggling to control the narrative in the press too, something which can be problematic at Barcelona too.
