After losing 3-5 to Villarreal in round 22 of La Liga 2023-2024, coach Xavi Hernandez announced his farewell to Barca at the end of the season.
In the early morning of January 28 (Vietnam time), Barca lost 3-5 to Villarreal in round 22 of La Liga 2023-2024. This defeat left Barca temporarily ranked 3rd on the rankings, 10 points behind top team Real Madrid. Speaking after the match, coach Xavi Hernandez expressed: “If I think with my head and think about Barca, the best solution is for me to leave on June 30.”
The 44-year-old coach explained: “I think this decision will help relieve the team’s mood and the situation here. I don’t make decisions based on money, my contract will never be a problem. I just make choices according to my heart. I don’t need anything more at Barca.”
Xavi Hernandez is one of the “legends” of Spanish football and Barca. After retiring, he became the head coach of Al Sadd club (Qatar), before accepting to lead Barca from 2021. Under the reign of Xavi Hernandez, Barca has had a “revolution” of rejuvenation, win the 2022-2023 La Liga championship. However, poor performance in the Champions League and recent poor performance have caused Barca and coach Xavi Hernandez to be criticized a lot.
Barca has not officially announced the replacement for coach Xavi Hernandez. According to the Spanish press, it is likely that Rafael Marquez, head coach of Barca Atletic (Barca reserve) will be chosen to sit in the “hot seat” at the Nou Camp.
