Club legend Xavi has shed light on the challenges he faced during his reign as Barcelona manager. The manager admitted he never felt appreciated enough and always drew intense scrutiny due to his trophy-laden spell as manager.
Barcelona Claim Slender Win In Xavi’s Final Win As Manager
With the La Liga title firmly in Real Madrid’s bag, Barcelona, on paper, had nothing to play for against Sevilla on Sunday night (May 26). However, it was not a dead rubber for most fans and players, as it marked Xavi’s final game as Barcelona manager.
Barcelona players rose to the occasion at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium and claimed a 2-1 victory. Robert Lewandowski scored the opener for the Blaugrana in the 15th minute, but Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri canceled it out just past the half-hour mark. After a bit of to-and-fro, Fermin Lopez scored the winner for the Blaugrana in the 59th minute, sealing a 2-1 victory.
Emotional Xavi Delivers Explosive Post-Match Press Conference
In his final post-match press conference as Barcelona manager, Xavi explained how difficult a spell it was for him. The Spanish tactician also took a shot at the club hierarchy, asking them to explain their decision to sack him.
Xavi began (via SPORT):
“I don’t want to go into the reasons behind the decision, that doesn’t matter now. The leaders have to explain it because they are the ones who need to explain it.
“Everything I did caused an earthquake, and in general, I haven’t been able to work with much calm. I believe my work hasn’t been sufficiently appreciated.”
He also said that his reputation as a player hurt his chances of succeeding as a manager.
Xavi added:
“Very high expectations were created because of my past as a player, which turned against me, and I was scrutinized very closely.”
Lastly, he warned his successor, bluntly stating that he would suffer.
Xavi added:
“He [His successor] will suffer, but he should have patience, it is a tough position. The only thing that will save him is winning.
“Barça was ninth when I started on this bench, and we managed to compete for the league and finish second. The following year, we achieved a double: the league and the Supercopa, and this year it’s true that we haven’t been able to meet our objectives. We missed out on a few details in four or five specific matches.”
According to reports, Hansi Flick will replace Xavi in the dugout. The former Bayern Munich manager has been without a job since Germany sacked him in September 2023.
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