Barcelona coach Xaci made a shocking announcement following his side’s hammering at the hands of Villarreal on Sunday as he stated that he would leave the role at the end of the season.
“On June 30 I will leave the club, it’s a decision I have taken with the president, with the staff,” Xavi said.
“The feeling of being Barca coach is cruel, unpleasant, it feels like people lack respect for you a lot of the time,” the 44-year-old added.
Xavi, a decorated club legend from the famous La Masia setup of the Catalan giants, stated that the role took a toll on his mental well-being.
“It’s terrible on a mental health level, your morale … to the point where you think there is no sense in continuing,” he added.
“I’ve thought about the club … and above all the players,” Xavi continued.
“I have the feeling that I am doing the right thing, that I am acting with common sense,” the 44-year-old said.
Xavi opined that the dynamics within the club have become messy and that a change was required.
“I think the club needs a change of dynamics, the dynamic is very negative,” the Barcelona legend said.
Xavi led the Catalan side to the La Liga title last year, but have fallen off the pace this season as they trial leaders Real Madrid by 10 points after Los Blancos’ 2-1 win over La Palmas on Sunday.
“I am more optimistic than ever with this change of dynamic … we’ll go for La Liga, it’s very difficult but we will fight,” he added.
“I have not spoken to the players about it, I saw how down they were today and I will talk to them tomorrow, and that’s one of the reasons for it.”
Xavi said that a change at the helm was rather inevitable at the Blaugrana and that it was something every coach that took the mantle had to cope with.
“It’s happened to every coach that has been at this club, it’s impossible that there’s a (Alex) Ferguson of Barcelona,” Xavi added referring to the legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
The World Cup-winning midfielder added that he had already made up his mind about stepping down at the end of the season, but the loss against Villarreal in the same week they suffered defeat at the hands of Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Cup acted as a catalyst to his announcement.
“I was a solution two years and three months ago (when he was appointed), but now, thinking with my heart and about the club, for who I want the best, the best thing is for me to go on June 30,” Xavi added.
“I have to thank the president Joan Laporta for his confidence, we have a great president,” the coach concluded.
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