On Saturday, after Barcelona’s 5-3 defeat to Villarreal at Montjuic, head coach Xavi Hernandez announced that he would be stepping down from the position at the end of the season. Despite the poor moment that the club currently finds itself in, the news was met with major surprise from within and outwith.
Reportedly, Xavi’s players were among those to be totally shocked by his announcement, even despite the nature of the club’s struggles in recent months. On Sunday, the 44-year-old met with the squad before training to discuss the matter, and he started off by apologising for the hasty nature, as per Diario AS.
Xavi went on to explain in detail why he was stepping down, and he was said to have come close to tears on multiple occasions whilst delivering his speech.
There’s no doubt that Xavi is a much loved figure at Barcelona, and even though his managerial spell has not been riddled with success, he will still remain a club legend, as he should.