Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste has enthusiastically welcomed Xavi’s decision to continue as the club’s manager beyond the 2023-24 season, claiming changing the Spaniard’s mind was always the priority.
Xavi Will Not Leave Barcelona At The End Of 2023-24
After Barcelona succumbed to consecutive defeats against Athletic Club (4-2) and Villarreal (5-3) in January, manager Xavi announced he would step down from his role as manager at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. Since then, journalists and pundits have regularly asked the Spaniard whether he would change his mind down the road, with Xavi always firmly replying he would not. The 2010 FIFA World Cup winner claimed he would not overturn his decision to leave even if the Blaugrana won the UEFA Champions League.
The Catalans, of course, will not win the UEFA Champions League this season, as they failed to overcome Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the quarter-finals. They are also unlikely to win the La Liga title, as Real Madrid have a seemingly insurmountable 11-point lead at the top of the rankings. However, despite standing on the brink of a trophyless campaign, Xavi has reversed his initial decision and will now stay at least until June 2025.
Rafa Yuste Claims The Board Is Excited To See Xavi Continue
Xavi has yet to reveal what ultimately made him want to continue with Barcelona, but Yuste is confident the club’s roster of talented youngsters helped. He also said the board unanimously wanted the academy graduate to continue as they were always rooting for the Spanish tactician to reverse his resignation.
Speaking to Spanish outlet SPORT, Yuste said (via Forbes):
“There is unanimity on the board of directors regarding Xavi’s continuity as coach.
“Deco [Sporting Director] also trusts Xavi 100%. Xavi wants to develop the sporting project with these talented youngsters who are coming up. He is very excited about the project. He has detected a huge enthusiasm on the part of the [fans] and that has given him a lot of strength to continue with his work.”
Xavi has managed Barcelona in 136 matches since coming on board in November 2021. He has taken them to 85 wins, 23 draws, and 28 defeats, earning a total of 278 points.
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