A spicy Xavi is confirmed by Barcelona as coach: 'It was never a matter of ego or money'

The coach of Barcelona, ​​Xavi Hernandez, He assured that the decision to reverse the decision to leave the Catalan team's bench at the end of this season is due to the fact that, in January, when he announced it, he considered that the club needed a change of scenery and now he feels everything contrary.

“It has not been an easy decision to make. I believed at the time that the best thing for the club was to leave, but circumstances have changed and now I think that the best thing for Barça is to continue. The project is not finished, I think it could be winner although it was at the beginning. I am convinced, excited… in three months I have seen the players, the staff… I have spoken with all of them and I believe in all of them. Rectifying is wise and I have no problem. It was never a matter of ego or money.“, the coach began by saying.

In an appearance held in the press room of the Joan Gamper Sports Citywith 76 accredited media outlets, the club's entire sporting leadership, managers and Xavi's two assistants, the Egarense coach and the Barça leader, explained the reasons for the change of direction.

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Both protagonists had to clear up many unknowns at the hearing. The most relevant, perhaps, is to explain the reasons why the Catalan coach has finally decided to fulfill his contract until June 2025, something that on January 27, after a tough defeat against Villarreal (3-5), seemed like a chimera. , since Xavi assured that even if he won the 'Champions' he would not continue as a tenant on the Barça bench.

“It is wise to rectify,” the Barça coach repeated several times throughout the appearance, who acknowledged that the delayed resignation at the end of January may have been a “wrong” decision.

“I always try to do what is best for the club, and the most important thing is this. The complicity and support of the players has been very important. Also as the president I believe that this project should not end even though this season we will surely not win titles. It is a winning project,” he said.

And the Barça coach looks “strong”, even though he is convinced that the environment “will continue to be cruel, unpleasant in the adverse situations” that the team will have to overcome in the future.

“The most important thing is to think about the entity. When we met with the president, I put my position at his disposal, but then I found great confidence from the president, the sports area and the entire board,” he argued.

Xavi assured that the support of his technical team has also been very important, as well as “the complicity of the players”, who have made him see that “this project has to continue.”

However, the coach stated that the decision to continue is irrevocable, regardless of how the season ends: “I have an intact commitment, what happened in January will not happen again.”

The coach, who was accompanied in the press room by his two assistants, Sergio Alegre And his brother Oscar, denied the information that, throughout Wednesday, suggested that his continuity was conditional on a series of changes in the coaching staff. “There won't be any changes to the staff,” he said.

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However, Laporta pointed out in his speech that “both the sports management and the coach will work to improve what needs to be improved.”

“We think that this season, despite not having achieved the objectives, there are positive things. I see that the project is intact in terms of confidence and enthusiasm. There will be some adjustments, but I am not going to give pleasure to those who want to ruin it all for not having achieved the objectives this season,” he added.

The president was especially “happy” for the continuity of the Catalan coach – “I have always wanted him to continue”, he pointed out – and revealed that there were no discrepancies about the decision with his fellow board members, with whom he met the same Wednesday before to see Xavi.

“At the board meeting we did not vote on Xavi's continuity because I was waiting to meet with him. I explained the situation. Yesterday it was rushed, Deco called me who was with Xavi and we met. When it was clear that Xavi wanted to continue, I called all the managers, all of them congratulated me and encouraged me because it is the best decision. “We were all unanimously satisfied with this decision,” he no
ted.

Laporta, who at one point during the press conference became emotional, said that the agreement with Xavi in ​​the meeting held at his house was resolved quickly. “I am especially happy. What I wanted has happened. The board of directors has unanimously supported this decision. We are all convinced that it is the best decision, it gives stability to the institution and consolidates a project that will be even more winning,” Laporta insisted.