Four weeks after Barcelona confirmed manager Xavi Hernandez job for the 2024–25 season, the La Liga team announced Hernandez’s dismissal on Friday.
Barcelona fired head coach Xavi Hernandez on Friday following their inability to win a championship this year.
Before leaving, Xavi will supervise the team’s last La Liga game on Sunday against Sevilla.
“Xavi Hernandez will not continue as coach for the 2024–25 season, as informed by Barcelona president Joan Laporta,” the club announced in a statement.
Hansi Flick, a former coach of Germany and Bayern Munich, is a strong favorite to succeed Xavi.
Xavi said in January that he would quit at the conclusion of the season, but following a string of impressive performances, he and president Laporta decided in April that the coach would continue for the next season, with his contract concluding in June 2025.
But things soon turned around when Spanish media revealed that Laporta was upset by Xavi’s remarks implying that the financially struggling team found it difficult to compete with Real Madrid and other top European teams.
“Barcelona want to thank Xavi for his work as coach, which adds to his unmatchable career as a player and the captain of the first team, and wish him all the best in the future,” said the club.
“Barcelona will unveil the new coaching structure in the next few days.”
Barcelona won La Liga the previous year, but they were unable to hold onto the championship this year.
They lost to Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey, were destroyed by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final, and were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
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