As usual, La Liga is up to its usual antics, bringing world-class football and primetime-worthy drama to boot. But by far the biggest La Liga 2024 news that has transpired is Xavi’s decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the season, stunning the whole football world in its wake.
As all SBOTOP football fans know, playing and coaching the illustrious Barcelona will automatically place you under the microscope, leaving you to swim in a fish bowl weighed down by immense pressure and expectations.
We’ve seen this with Pep Guardiola, Ernesto Valverde, Luis Enrique, and now Xavi.
So, after learning about Xavi’s impending departure from Barcelona, it would be proper to look back at Xavi’s rich career as a Culé, from his emergence as a player to his resignation as head coach.
Xavi’s Barcelona legacy
The 44-year-old is already a household name in Catalan due to his rich and successful 17-year career at Camp Nou.
He started carving his name in the pillars of the Pantheon of Barcelona lore when he was named the vice-captain in the 2004–05 season and was a big contributor as to why Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup and the entire La Liga that term. Being the recipient of the La Liga Spanish Player of the Year in 2005 is an attestation of his brilliance and importance for the Spanish outfit.
Xavi was one of the cornerstones for Barcelona during their golden era, winning a whopping total of 25 trophies, which included four UEFA Champions League finals and eight La Liga titles.
He had opportunities to cut his stint with Barcelona after winning Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008, as Bayern Munich was poised and determined to acquire the Spaniard’s services. But the Barca boss at the time, the great Pep Guardiola, convinced him to stay in with the Catalans, where he is well-loved and celebrated.
After 767 appearances and winning every possible contest with the Catalans, Xavi decided to embark on a new journey by joining the Qatari club Al Sadd at the end of the 2014–15 season. There, he signed a hefty three-year contract, which paved his way to becoming an ambassador for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
In Al Sadd, Xavi hailed his first hardware with his new outfit by winning the 2017 Qatar Cup and even led them to the 2018 AFC Champions League semis as captain.
Xavi announced his retirement from professional football by the end of the 2019 season and played his final match as a footballer on May 20, 2019.
From player to coach
Xavi started his coaching stint with flying colours, leading Al Sadd to seven trophies and deep AFC Champions League runs in just his two-and-a-half-year managerial spell with Al Sadd. His success caught the attention of his beloved Barcelona, who were conveniently and unfortunately in a slump under Ronald Koeman.
The Barcelona legend came back to Camp Nou in the middle of the 2021–22 season to further expand his already illustrious CV with the Catalans and bring back their winning ways.
Taking the head coaching job in the middle of an abysmal season is usually a recipe for disaster, as the odds are already stacked against you even before your arrival.
But with the overwhelming support of Barca fans and players, Xavi managed to lead the Catalans to a resurgence. He managed to take his new team to a fifteen-game unbeaten streak at the tail end of the La Liga season, handing Barcelona a second-place finish from ninth position when he took the job.
They picked up where they left off and blazed through the 2022–23 season, winning the Spanish Super Cup by defeating their arch rivals Real Madrid 3-1 and bagging the club’s 27th La Liga title with 10 points clear at the summit. Talk about redemption.
With this meteoric rise as head coach, it understandably put him in the spotlight, and the football world expects perpetual success from Barcelona as long as Xavi is the man at the helm.
That’s the way the cookie crumbles
Which brings us to this season.
Due to Barcelona’s immense success last season, the Catalans were coming into the 2023–24 season as the La Liga 2024 favourites.
Due to injuries and a couple of head-scratching performances, Xavi’s football utopia had started to crumble. They’re currently fourth in the La Liga standings, which is more than fine for any other club in the competition, but due to Barcelona’s incredibly lofty standards, fans are left unsatisfied, which led to the sounding of the alarm at Camp Nou.
The past few weeks have been gloomy for Xavi and his outfit, with a looming sense of urgency every time the Catalans grace the pitch. It really felt like the clock was ticking for Xavi and Barcelona.
Lo and behold, earlier this week, Xavi announced that he would leave the club by the end of the season.
“I will leave Barcelona in June. We have reached a point of no return. It’s time for change. As a Culé, I think that it’s time to leave. I spoke with the board and the club today. I will leave on the 30th of June,” the 44-year-old said.
“The club needs a change of dynamic. Thinking about the club and the players … they play under far too much pressure. It’s best if I leave. I will always give my best with what I have left. I still believe we can complete a great season.”
The immense pressure got the Barcelona legend to his tipping point, and ultimately, he decided to choose what’s best for him and the club.
“You are made to feel every day that you are not good enough,” he told reporters ahead of Wednesday’s game against Osasuna, “It happened to all the coaches: Pep (Guardiola) told me, it happened to (Ernesto) Valverde, I saw Luis Enrique suffer.”
As of now, both Xavi and his men keep their heads up and will still strive for a successful campaign this term. To Xavi’s defence, he championed adversity and brought two shiny silverwares back to Camp Nou in his relatively short stint as head coach. With his success, the Catalans might have a laborious time trying to find a replacement who will deliver world-class results from the get-go. Herculean, but not impossible.
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