Barcelona chief Joan Laporta on Xavi Hernandez’s future
Barcelona president Joan Laporta partook in a discussion at the Círculo Ecuestre de Barcelona, and has opened up about the future of coach Xavi Hernandez.
The midfield maestro arrived at Camp Nou at the end of 2021 to replace Dutch coach Ronald Koeman halfway through the season which ended up in the Catalan giants losing out on all competitions. The real assessment for the Spaniard is the current season. Barca finished third in their Champions League group behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, dropping to Europa League for the second consecutive season, ultimately exiting the tournament after the defeat to Manchester United.
While many argued against the legendary midfielder’s ability to lead Blaugrana as a coach, the club’s form this season is an admirable achievement. Not only does Barca currently sit at the top of the La Liga table, 9 points ahead of rivals Real Madrid, but they also host the Los Blancos for the second-leg of their Copa del Rey semi-finals clash with a 1-0 lead.
The Spaniard holds an impressive track record against the Madrid giants as a coach, not only beating them 3-1 in the 2023 Supercopa de España Final but also winning 4 out 6 Clasicos since taking charge. While the season is yet to conclude, Barca chief Joan Laporta has already given his verdict regarding Xavi’s future,
"“I’ve already considered it, even if we don’t win La Liga. I’ve told Xavi, but he insists that if we don’t win… No, I want to give him a message of calm. We have to renew him… he knows the club and defends the genuine style of Barça.”“He doesn’t make you stretch out your arm more than your sleeve. He doesn’t ask us for crazy things and he understands the club’s situation. In fact, I’ve already considered it. I hadn’t discussed it with my board members, but it’s so”. said Joan LaportaSource Sport (Original in Spanish)"
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