Xavi Hernandez concluded his tenure as Barcelona coach with a 2-1 victory over Sevilla on Sunday, bringing the La Liga season to a close.
Despite finishing the campaign without any trophies, the win provided a positive end to Xavi’s time in charge, which officially ended after he was sacked by Barcelona president Joan Laporta on Friday.
This decision came just weeks after the club had announced Xavi would continue for another season, following his own statement in January about his plans to resign in the summer.
Xavi, who took over as head coach in November 2021, guided Barcelona to the Spanish title last season. However, this year the team finished 10 points behind their arch-rivals and champions, Real Madrid.
The expected successor to Xavi is German coach Hansi Flick, who is anticipated to be appointed next week.
In his final remarks, Xavi cautioned his successor about the challenges that lie ahead. He acknowledged the difficulties associated with the role, highlighting the high expectations and intense scrutiny that come with managing a club of Barcelona’s stature.
“They should know that they’ve got a difficult situation, because Barca is a difficult club and there’s an adverse financial situation too — it won’t be easy at all,” he told DAZN.
“I think the work we’ve done has not been valued enough given the adverse situation we came from.
“(Barca) were ninth in the table when we arrived, we finished second… (then) we won a double, and this year we weren’t up to the standard but because of four key games.”
Barcelona concluded their La Liga season with a 2-1 victory over Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium, a positive end to an otherwise challenging season.
The team, under Xavi Hernandez, faced setbacks including losses to Real Madrid, Girona, and Villarreal, finishing without a trophy and 10 points behind champions Real Madrid.
In the final match, Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Barcelona, but Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri equalized.
Fermin Lopez, one of the young talents Xavi has successfully integrated into the team, scored the decisive goal with a low strike from outside the area in the second half. Lopez celebrated by hugging Xavi, a gesture of appreciation for the departing coach.
Xavi’s tenure, which began in November 2021, saw him promote several young players like Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez, providing them opportunities to shine on the big stage.
Despite the season’s difficulties, Xavi’s commitment to nurturing young talent remains a notable achievement of his coaching stint at Barcelona.
“Firstly, as a professional he has given us so much, he worked every day so that we could succeed,” Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen told DAZN.
“We thank him a lot for his time. We wish him the best — on a personal level, he’s been a friend for many years and it’s never easy to (see) him go.”
Some Sevilla fans protested against the board before the game, wearing black and entering the game 10 minutes late, after another disappointing campaign in which the Andalusians finished 14th.
