Spanish football coach Xavi Hernandez has announced that he will leave his post as head coach of FC “Barcelona” at the end of the 2023/2024 season. He stated this at a press conference, TASS writes.
The coach's decision followed a series of unsuccessful matches for “Barcelona”.On January 27, the team lost at home to “Villarreal” (3:5) in a Spanish championship match.
On January 24, the “blue garnets” lost to “Athletic” Bilbao in the quarter finals of the Spanish Cup (2:4).On January 14, “Barcelona” suffered a crushing defeat (1:4) from “Real Madrid” in the final match of the Spanish Super Cup.
“Barcelona” currently ranks fourth in the Spanish Championship with 44 points after 21 rounds. The gap from the leading “Girona” is 11 points. The Catalan club continues to play in the Champions League; in the 1/8 finals, “Barcelona's” opponent will be the Italian “Napoli”.
Xavi, 44, will take charge of “Barcelona” in November 2021. Under his leadership, the team became the champion of Spain and the winner of the country's Super Cup in 2023. Before working at his native club in 2019-2021, Xavi coached the Qatari “Al-Sadd”.
Xavi is a product of the “Barcelona” football academy and played for the club's main team from 1998 to 2015.With the “Blaugrana” he won 8 Spanish titles, 3 Spanish Cups and 4 Champions Leagues.
Xavi played 767 matches for “Barcelona”, scored 85 goals and provided 185 assists.As a member of the Spanish national team, he became the 2010 world champion, two-time European champion and silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.