Xavi has announced that he will step down as Barcelona head coach at the end of the season after seeing his side thrashed 5-3 by Villarreal in La Liga. Pressure has been mounting on the club icon to improve results despite him guiding the club to a shock league title last term.
The Spaniard, who played 767 times for Barca as a player, used his post-match press conference to deliver the news. He said that his decision was in the best interests of the club.
“I have decided I will not continue beyond June 30 (the end date of his contract),” Xavi said.
“It is a common sense decision for the good of the club.”
Xavi insists that his decision is irreversible and will not depend on an improvement in the club’s La Liga or Champions League performance. Intriguingly, he had not told the club’s squad before announcing his intention to step down to the media.
Barca have suffered a horror title defence and their defeat against Villarreal was their third of the campaign. Xavi’s side are third in the table and sit 10 points behind Real Madrid and eight behind surprise title challengers Girona.
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