Xavi, aged 44, has made a decision to stay at Barca until the summer of 2025, despite his earlier intention to leave. He had felt it was best to part ways due to the team’s failure to challenge for silverware this season. This decision comes less than a month after he had expressed his determination to cut short his stay one year early, despite appeals from the club for him to stay. He had acknowledged the support from the president and the Sporting Director but stressed that it would not change his decision.
The team’s uneven performance in the first half of the season had led to a downturn in Catalonia. Barca dropped points to lower-ranked teams such as Mallorca, Granada, and Ray Vallecano, which raised questions about Xavi’s role as manager. Despite recent setbacks in El Clasico and against PSG, the team has shown more promise in the second half of the season. Xavi, a product of La Masia, has played a critical role in nurturing young talents such as Lamine Yamal (16), Pau Cubarsi (17), and Fermin Lopez (20).
Barcelona’s decision to retain Xavi as manager raises the pressure for him to win titles in the final year of his current contract. However, he will have the opportunity to continue developing the young talents for at least one more season.
