Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez on future – ‘I’m closer to the end of my spell than the start’

Barcelona’s Xavi Hernandez has admitted that he is into the second half of his spell at the club as manager, as he comes under pressure this season. In recent weeks, alternative managerial options for the summer have been linked to Xavi’s job, and he too has brought up his exit.

After defeat in the Copa del Rey, Xavi brought up a potential exit, noting that if Barcelona did not win, or at the very least compete for titles, then he would be leaving at the end of the season. Ahead of their clash with Villarreal, Xavi admitted that he would not be at Barcelona long into the future.

“We have been talking about my continuity since the month of July. Since we lost a friendly against Arsenal, there was already pressure. I am calm. I understand the club, the criticism, I understand everything. I am lucky, or unlucky, to know the club. I have no problem. But now is not the time to think about my future. When we got to the friendly Clasico in July, it was already a pressure situation. We are convinced that we can have a good season.”

“But of course, I have been here for two and a half years and I think I have less time left than I have already been here. I’m closer to the end than the start. If you look at history, Pep, he was here four years right? Luis Enrique three, and that was winning, always winning. There will come a point when I will leave. Don’t worry (laughs).”

He went on to say that regardless of who is at Barcelona, and no matter how well they do, they will always run into problems.

“I don’t know if they are unfair to me, I’m not sure about that. But we always value people when they start to leave. Now the good work of Valverde, Koeman, is valued. Now that Busquets, Jordi Alba are gone, we say how good they were… It is something to reflect on. I hope you miss me too. I am happy and I value what I have now, not later. For me that is Barca’s great historical mistake. The same happened Luis Enrique or Pep. Or Koeman, we didn’t value him. I don’t know if it’s unfair, this club is like that.”

The exhausting nature of the job at Barcelona has been remarked upon before, and not since Johan Cruyff has anyone eclipsed the four years that Pep Guardiola was in charge. Barcelona have rarely had long-term managers, and perhaps the pressure and stress is being to drag for Xavi.