Xavi Hernandez’s Imminent Farewell: A Bittersweet Conclusion to His Barça Coaching Stint

Barring a major surprise, Xavi Hernandez will lead his final match as the Barcelona coach during the weekend of May 25-26. This marks his second farewell from FC Barcelona in just a decade—nine years, to be precise. The native of Terrassa concluded his playing career amidst a sea of tears but lifted the captain’s armband as he secured the club’s second treble. This time, the sentiment will be more bittersweet, tinged with an overwhelming sense of unfulfilled potential. What could have been, but never was.

Xavi has always been a true club man, rising to become one of the greatest footballers in the club’s history. He made his debut with the first team in 1998 and extended the dream until 2015. The journey was not easy, and the Terrassa native experienced firsthand the challenging and demanding environment at Barcelona, facing fierce criticism of his style of play. However, he overcame the critiques and solidified his place in the midfield: 767 matches, 85 goals, and 185 assists. Quite an accomplishment.

However, his playing career was on the verge of ending a year earlier than expected. Xavi had contemplated leaving FC Barcelona in the summer of 2014, despite having a contract until 2016, following the paths of Carles Puyol and Víctor Valdés. It marked the end of an era. Luis Enrique, who took charge after managing Celta de Vigo, arrived to revitalize a team that was hurt by the loss in the Copa del Rey final and the missed La Liga title on the last matchday.

The Asturian coach rejuvenated the team and persuaded Xavi to stay. The ‘6’ got a second lease on life and made the most of it. Despite being overshadowed by Rakitic in the midfield, he became ‘Lucho’s’ 12th man, playing in 45 matches during that season, 21 of them as a starter.

The conclusion could not have been sweeter. Xavi bid farewell to the Blaugrana faithful on May 23 in the last La Liga matchday, a week after Barcelona clinched the league title against Atlético Madrid away. It was his final match with the fans, but he still had two more games on the horizon: the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League final. A dream ending, capped with a historic treble—the second in the club’s history. Xavi lifted the ‘big-eared’ trophy to the Berlin sky, the fourth in his illustrious career and the last won by the Catalan club.

Following in Lucho’s Footsteps

In this way, Xavi will follow in the footsteps of Luis Enrique as the coach of Barcelona. Luis Enrique was the last coach to announce his abrupt departure from the club. He revealed this decision on March 1, 2017, in the press conference after the 6-1 victory against Sporting Gijón. Interestingly, a week later, Barcelona repeated the same result in the Champions League round of 16 against PSG, pulling off one of the most historic comebacks in football history.

‘Lucho’ stated to the media, “The reason for my decision is my way of living this profession, intensely and constantly seeking solutions. That means few hours of rest. I need to rest. Three exciting months remain, three months in which we are in all competitions. In one of them, it is true that we are in a difficult situation, but I am sure that we will have an opportunity to turn it around with the help of everyone, and if the stars align.” Align they did, albeit futilely, with the quarter-final elimination. At least, the current PSG coach was able to bid farewell by winning the Copa del Rey.

Now, the scenario is different. Barcelona is out of the Copa del Rey and lost in the Supercopa final to Real Madrid. The league situation is challenging (11 points behind Girona, the leader with one more match); meanwhile, in the Champions League, they face Napoli in the Round of 16. The sporting feelings are contrasting to those of 2015, but who knows if Xavi’s public announcement could ease the situation and instill confidence in his players.