“A real learning experience” – Xavi reflects on Barcelona managerial spell

Last summer, Xavi Hernandez’s two-and-a-half-year spell as Barcelona head coach ended when he was sacked in favour of hiring Hansi Flick. Since then, he has been enjoying time away from football – and more importantly, with his family.

He has also stayed away from the public spotlight, although he was interviewed by France Football earlier this week. As per Diario AS, he spoke about his time at Barcelona manager, but before that, he revealed that prior to arriving as Ronald Koeman’s replacement in November 2021, he had been courted multiple times by the Catalans.

“Barcelona had already come looking for me twice before Laporta’s call, but I still didn’t feel ready. That’s why I spent two and a half seasons at Al Sadd in which I was able to train, try things and win titles.”

On his time in charge of Barcelona, Xavi admitted that the departures of Jordi Cruyff and Mateu Alemany in the summer of 2023 affected him. He also had some regrets about his managerial style, which he believes was sometimes affected by the sentimental feeling that he holds towards the club.

“My first year and a half at Barcelona was very, very good. We had a good project with Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff that allowed us to finish second in La Liga, before winning the league in 2023, as well as the Spanish Super Cup. Then, the results were less good. The departure of Jordi and Mateu was a hard blow.

“In hindsight, our results are very positive, because the club was in one of the worst situations in its history, even worse than in the early 2000s. The expectations were very high compared to my story. My deep attachment to Barcelona sometimes didn’t do me any favours, maybe sometimes I was too sentimental, but this adventure was a real learning experience.”

Xavi is now looking ahead to his next managerial experience, which he admitted could be in Spain, albeit not with Barcelona.