Xavi departs disappointed his work at Barcelona was not appreciated enough

Sacked Barcelona manager Xavi said he leaves the club disappointed after feeling his work was not appreciated enough as they finished the season with a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Sunday.

Xavi, 44, who joined Bara on a three-year deal when Dutchman Ronald Koeman left in 2021, led the Catalan giants to their 27th league title last season.

He compiled 90 wins, 23 draws and 29 defeats in 142 games in charge but was fired on Friday.

“I have the feeling that everything I have done in these two and a half years has caused an earthquake. I have been targeted many times in many situations,” Xavi said.

“I think that the work has not been sufficiently appreciated. This year we haven’t been up to the task because of details. We had four key games in which we couldn’t finish the good work we had done,” he added.

FULL TIME!!! #SevillaBarça pic.twitter.com/XUzN5UwOpL

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 26, 2024

LaLiga runners-up Barcelona, who finished 10 poins behind Real Madrid, have endured a frustrating season, losing to Real in the Spanish Super Cup final, knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals and eliminated from the Champions League by Paris St Germain also in the last eight.

Xavi decided to step down in January but agreed to return in April after talks with president Joan Laporta, who later changed his mind and sacked him after a season without silverware.

“It is not for me to say the reasons or the motives. I think it is up to the president to say them. I had no choice but to accept it. It doesn’t matter if I agree with the arguments.

“I’m not leaving with a sense of relief because we wanted to continue. These are decisions made by the club. We understood and respected that, but we thought it wasn’t over,” he added.

Xavi pointed out that while he did not agree with his departure, he accepted that the club was bigger, adding that the next coach’s job would not be easy.

“He should know that he has a tough situation because Barca is a challenging club but on top of that it is in an adverse economic situation. It will not be an easy task,” he said.