Xavi reverses his decision to stand down as Barcelona manager this summer and will remain at the club until at least June 2025, according to a report.
Xavi has reportedly reversed his decision to stand down as Barcelona head coach, with the former midfielder agreeing to remain at Camp Nou until at least the end of his contract in June 2025.
At the end of January, following a 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal, the 44-year-old announced that he would be leaving his role as manager this summer.
Xavi said at the time that Barcelona needed a change of direction, but the team’s performances and results since his shock statement have improved.
The Catalan outfit have lost their last two matches, being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on April 16 courtesy of a 4-1 home defeat in the second leg of their quarter-final.
Barcelona then lost 3-2 at Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday evening, with the result all but ending their already-slim La Liga title hopes.
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Xavi ‘set to stay in charge of Barcelona beyond the summer’
However, the Catalan side had been on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions ahead of the contest against PSG, and their spot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League was seen as a positive due to their recent struggles in the competition.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco have been working to convince Xavi to reverse his decision and stay at the club.
Meanwhile, the club’s vice-president Rafa Yuste said at the end of last month that Xavi was wanted as part of “a long-term project” at Camp Nou.
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, following a meeting on Wednesday evening, Xavi has changed his mind and agreed to remain as Barcelona boss.
Barcelona could allegedly make an announcement on Thursday confirming that their current manager will stay in charge beyond the end of the campaign.
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Is Xavi’s alleged decision the right one?
The Catalan outfit are 11 points behind Real Madrid in the La Liga table, so unless something extraordinary happens, there will be no league title this season.
Barcelona’s elimination from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage was also a huge disappointment under the circumstances, having won the first leg 3-2 in Paris.
Ronald Araujo‘s red card in the second leg changed the contest, though, and it might have been a different story had the Uruguay international remained on the field.
The team have shown huge improvement in the second half of the season, and the signs are bright for Barcelona, with their financial situation also set to improve in the near future.
There will have to be a couple of big sales this summer, but there are also set to be incomings, and Xavi must believe that he will have a competitive squad next season; the future looks very bright, meanwhile, due to the incredible talents the club possess in the shape of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Gavi and Pedri.