Almost two years after leaving FC Barcelona, club legend Xavi has had harsh words for the club’s management under Joan Laporta—and defended his successor Hansi Flick. The current president immediately countered, suspecting a conspiracy.
Hansi Flick has been coach of FC Barcelona since the summer of 2024 – and has been very successful with the Catalans. With eleven games to go before the end of the season, the Blaugrana are back in first place in La Liga, four points ahead of their great rivals Real Madrid. In Flick’s first year, they won the double, the league title and the Copa del Rey.
At the time, the club had installed the former national coach as the successor to club legend Xavi, who had experienced turbulent years as coach and had only won one championship. In addition, Barca failed twice in the preliminary round of the Champions League under him. Nevertheless, Xavi had wanted to fulfill his contract until 2025, after having announced his resignation in the meantime. However, the club opted for Flick.
Flick apologized to Xavi
Almost two years later, he has now lashed out at the club’s management team led by president Joan Laporta: During the period when “the club had already decided to sack me, but no one told me to my face,” those responsible had already held initial contract talks with Flick, Xavi told Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia.
His successor later apologized personally for this approach: “The club told him not to say anything to me, so he came to my house to apologize,” Xavi continued. His relationship with Flick is ‘excellent’ and they communicate well: “We text each other all the time,” Xavi emphasized.
However, the former coach sharply criticized Laporta and Co. His beloved club needs “a fundamental change” in “its structure and professionalism,” Xavi explained: “We cannot rely on dishonest people.” In the summer of 2023, the president also prevented the return of Lionel Messi, which had already been agreed between the two former teammates: “Laporta told me in no uncertain terms that he would declare war on Leo if he came back and that he couldn’t allow that to happen. Suddenly, Leo stopped answering his phone because he had been told it was impossible.”
Meanwhile, Laporta fired back in Marca: “The facts show me that I was right, because with Xavi we would have continued to lose. I understand that he is hurt, because with the same players he had and with whom he lost, Flick is winning.” The former midfielder’s statements are an attempt to damage him in the ongoing battle for the presidency, in which Xavi is supporting rival candidate Victor Font: “He has allowed himself to be used by Victor Font, who is behind him and wants to dirty the process,” Laporta claimed.
