On Saturday, after Barcelona’s 5-3 defeat to Villarreal at Montjuic, head coach Xavi Hernandez announced that he would be stepping down from the position at the end of the season. Despite the poor moment that the club currently finds itself in, the news was met with major surprise from within and outwith.
Reportedly, Xavi’s players were among those to be totally shocked by his announcement, even despite the nature of the club’s struggles in recent months. On Sunday, the 44-year-old met with the squad before training to discuss the matter, and he started off by apologising for the hasty nature, as per Diario AS.
Xavi went on to explain in detail why he was stepping down, and he was said to have come close to tears on multiple occasions whilst delivering his speech.
🚨 Xavi met with the squad for almost half an hour before training today to explain the reasons for his decision. He was on the verge of tears for more than once. The players responded with a strong ovation. Subsequently, Xavi hugged all his players one by one. @fansjavimiguel
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 28, 2024
There’s no doubt that Xavi is a much loved figure at Barcelona, and even though his managerial spell has not been riddled with success, he will still remain a club legend, as he should.
So was I…
FROM LAUGHING AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHA🫵🤣