Barcelona coach Xavi has made a surprising decision to extend his stay at the club until at least June 2025, contrary to his previous announcement of leaving this summer.
The 44-year-old, who took charge in November 2021, had initially declared his intention to step down as boss at the end of the current season.
However, the club’s president, Joan Laporta, expressed a strong desire for Xavi to continue, leading to a change of heart from the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73144362/1690784412.0.jpg "Xavi will continue as the coach of Barcelona until at least June 2025. 2")
Xavi’s tenure at Barcelona has already seen success, as he guided the team to the Spanish title in his first full season in charge in 2022-23.
Nevertheless, they currently find themselves 11 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with only six games remaining in the campaign. Additionally, Barcelona recently suffered an exit from the Champions League following a quarter-final defeat against Paris St-Germain.
Initially, Xavi had expressed a sense of liberation upon announcing his departure, citing a lack of protection from the club and a lack of clear direction.
However, since that moment, he has adopted a more relaxed approach, which has coincided with improved results for the team. They enjoyed a 10-game unbeaten streak in the league before succumbing to a 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid last Sunday.
A crucial meeting took place at Laporta’s residence on Wednesday, where the club’s strong desire for Xavi to stay became evident.
If Xavi fails to enhance the team’s performance by the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, Barcelona will explore the possibility of persuading high-profile managers who will be available at that time, such as Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Mikel Arteta.