Coming so soon after Xavi had reversed his decision to quit Barcelona, Joan Laporta’s sacking of the club’s former legendary midfielder seemed an odd move to say the least.
Laporta’s presidency this time around appears to have been littered with walkouts at board level and a way of working that’s one step forward and two back.
Whilst many of their current difficulties can be attributed to the disastrous reign of Josep Maria Bartomeu, Laporta doesn’t appear to have helped himself in certain areas.
Xavi’s words angered Joan Laporta
In any event, on results and performances alone, the president would have been well within his rights to relieve Xavi of his managerial duties.
Barca have been poor in many games throughout the 2023/24 season, and 43 goals conceded tells its own story.
That the Catalan giants are guaranteed to finish second in La Liga is nothing short of miraculous, but the lack of silverware is ostensibly why Xavi should’ve been shown the exit door in any event.
It’s an apparent betrayal that has seen Laporta lose the plot and fire his manager, however.
“Laporta was not happy with some decisions made by Xavi, for example, what happened with Vitor Roque was, for him, unacceptable. Also crucial, as I told you, was the press conference before the Almeria game when Xavi explained the difficulties he faced with regards to the financial situation at the club,” Fabrizio Romano said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.
“Laporta was literally furious about that. He wanted a completely different communication, not just for that press conference, but for the entirety of next season. Not to say fake things, but just to bring a positive atmosphere to the team, the squad and the club. He didn’t want Xavi to go public and say the things he did, so the tension between Laporta and Xavi was really big in the recent weeks.”
It’s already been agreed that Hansi Flick will be Xavi’s replacement and he will certainly have his work cut out.
The German certainly possesses the tactical nous that Xavi didn’t, and his time at Bayern Munich would suggest that Barca are getting a coach at the highest level.
As long as supporters and the Barcelona board give him the time to settle into the role, there’s every chance that he can bring the Blaugranes back to the top table of European football.
New signings should be expected, though an evolution of the squad rather than a revolution would be preferable to maintain some sort of continuity.