Xavi’s U-turn: Has the Barcelona manager made the right decision?
When Xavi Hernandez announced that he would be leaving Barcelona at the end of this season, football fans around the world were stunned because we haven’t considered Barcelona without him as its manager.
The former midfielder answered the call when his boyhood club reached out to him in 2021 after suffering at the hands of too many poor coaches.
Xavi was horning his skills in Qatar when the call came, and his decision to honour the request delighted most neutrals and fans who buy Barcelona tickets.
The Catalans had watched as Real Madrid dominated Spanish football and needed one of their own to come in and change that.
Xavi’s first trophy came last year when he won La Liga and the Spanish Cup, delighting most football supporters and proving that success can come to Barcelona without Lionel Messi.
The former midfielder found this season much more frustrating on and off the pitch as his team struggled to replicate the success that they achieved last time.
Managing a top club like Barca means the coach will always be criticised when things don’t go right, but Xavi does not seem prepared for that.
After weeks of criticism from fans who wanted more, he decided he would leave at the end of the season in a shocking statement after a defeat to Villarreal.
Although we do not expect him to manage the club forever, no one expected that statement from the former midfielder.
But thankfully, months later after speaking to the important people at the club he was persuaded to change that decision. However, was it the right thing to do?
It would have been weird to see Xavi on another bench
Although Xavi might go on to make a name for himself at other European clubs like Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique have done so far, the former midfielder seems made for Barcelona now.
Very little is known about how good he was at the Qatar Sports League before the Catalans brought him back to Spain as their manager.
However, as he does well on the Camp Nou bench, he looks made for the team. If he had left Barca and become the manager of another club, it would have been weird to see that happen.
Xavi has won the league and Spanish Cup despite competing against a tough Real Madrid side, but he may struggle as a coach of another top club.
He needs more sustained success to hone his skills further before top clubs consider making him their manager.
Next season would be pivotal for him, and he has to unseat Madrid from the top of the Spanish football pyramid so that we can take him seriously.
Perhaps at the end of the campaign in the summer of 2025, he can walk away as a hero, and top European sides will seriously consider making him their next boss.
His decision was purely emotional
Xavi’s decision to leave was a surprise to everyone, including the Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, who was stunned.
The Barca gaffer had no reason to leave the club apart from feeling unsupported by some of the fans, which is normal at every top European club.
When he made that decision, it was purely out of anger at feeling unsupported by some of the fans, and it was an emotional call.
Weeks after he announced he would leave the club, he continued to maintain that his decision was final and he was leaving.
However, it was obvious that Xavi was acting out of his emotions, and it was not a decision he had spent time thinking about before he made the announcement.
This is why the club’s president and board were confident they could convince him to stay on despite the announcement.
If Xavi wants a long and successful career in football, he must learn to deal with his emotions and understand that fans will always demand for more from the team.
If he cracks because the supporters are frustrated and turn against the team, he may as well choose a different profession because it might be worse at a club where he does not have an affiliation as a player.
Barca can compete with Xavi as their manager
One reason Barca convinced Xavi to reverse his decision is because he has shown he can make the team competitive.
Challenging for domestic and European crowns is one of the major criteria every Barcelona manager must have to coach the team.
Although this is his first job in Europe, he has already won two domestic titles, so the team can win if he remains their manager.
The board knows this and has made him change his mind and stay at the Camp Nou for another season.
Barca is yet to make an impression in Europe under Xavi, but they came close to reaching the semi-final of the competition this season before being controversially knocked out by PSG.
Their progress in the competition every season is a clear sign of growth, and they might reach or finish beyond the semi-final stage next term.
The progress they have made under Xavi means they had to keep him because if they replaced him with a new gaffer, this progress could be lost.
He would also not enjoy watching his beloved team struggle on the pitch while following their game on TV at home.
He made the right decision
Xavi’s decision to leave may have been an emotional one that was taken without much thinking, but the ex-midfielder meant it.
However, the reversal of that decision is an even bigger and better decision, which is clearly the right thing to do.
Leaving the club in that manner could have sent a message that he does not have the character and willpower to manage a top club.
Barca could also have struggled to find a replacement for him who would not need much time to develop the team and make it much better.
Overall, Xavi’s decision to extend his stay on the Barcelona bench is the right one, and the club can now plan for the next campaign with him on their bench.
Conclusion
Apart from some negative fans who are demanding more from their team, there was no other serious reason for Xavi to leave Barcelona.
He has been their best manager in a while and is fulfilling a dream of managing his boyhood club, so he has no reason to leave.
However, he now has to justify that decision, stop the constant complaints and do a good job when next season comes around.
