One of the biggest jobs in European football is available once again after Xavi was sacked by Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
The Barca icon was due to vacate the Blaugrana hot-seat at the end of 2023/24, after revealing in early 2024 he was stepping down. Barcelona lost a thrilling La Liga game to Villarreal on January 27, but it was not the result that grabbed the headlines for long after that match.
Head coach Xavi announced after the 5-3 home loss that he would be leaving Barca at the end of the season. The former midfield star said the decision was "for the good of the players" after finding life difficult in 2023/24 following their title win last term.
"For the good of the board of directors, it is best that I leave," Xavi said after that defeat that left Barca 11 points behind surprise early-season leaders Girona. "I will give my best. I think all of that will help the dynamic change. This is the message I would like to give. I think I am doing the right thing."
Then Barcelona went on a 13-match unbeaten run, perceptions changed and attitudes softened.
Despite being dumped out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage following a thrilling comeback by PSG, and with arch-rivals Real Madrid storming to their 36th LaLiga title, Xavi made a sensational U-turn. On April 25, it was announced the coach would stay until at least the end of his current contract, which expires in June 2025.
It was a stunning one-eighty, as Xavi had repeated in the weeks and months since the initial January announcement that he would not change his mind, to the point where he showed signs of frustration with the repeated questioning in press conferences.
Maybe he shouldn't have. After publicly discussing Barcelona's well-documented financial woes earlier this month, relations with Laporta quickly soured. On May 25, a month on from his U-turn, Xavi was axed by his boyhood club amid reports former Bayern Munich and Germany boss Hansi Flick will take charge.
Here we break down his record at Barcelona, an era with unforgettable highs that has ended in an unprecedented mess.
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Xavi sacked by Barcelona
After days of mounting speculation, Barcelona confirmed Xavi's exit via a club statement.
"Today Friday, FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has informed Xavi Hernández that he will not be continuing as first team coach in the 2024-25 season," the statement read. "The meeting happened at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and was also attended by sporting vice-president Rafa Yuste, director of sport Anderson Luís de Souza, Deco, Xavi, Òscar Hernández and Sergio Alegre.
"FC Barcelona wishes to thank Xavi for his work as coach, as well as for his inimitable career as a player and as team captain, and wishes him every future success in the world. Xavi Hernández will be coaching the team for the last time in Sunday's game away to Sevilla.
"During the next few days, FC Barcelona will be making an announcement regarding the new first team structure."
* Stats correct to May 24, 2024. Data via Transfermarkt.us.
| Competition | Games in charge | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 100 | 69 | 16 | 15 | 69% |
| Copa del Rey | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 70% |
| Supercopa de Espana | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 60% |
| Champions League | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 44.4% |
| Europa League | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 20% |
| Club World Cup | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.3% |
| TOTAL | 139 | 86 | 23 | 30 | 61.9% |
After playing over 500 games for Barcelona, Xavi was finally lured back to the club as manager in November 2021.
The Spaniard impressed during his first coaching stint with Qatari club Al Sadd and Barcelona convinced Xavi to come back to replace Ronald Koeman after a poor start to the 2021/22 season.
Without former teammate Lionel Messi to call upon, the 42-year-old had to rebuild a squad short on confidence and his first season in charge of Barcelona was a mixed bag.
He failed to rejuvenate Barca's stalling Champions League campaign, drawing 0-0 with Benfica before losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich as they bowed out in the group stage.
Barcelona were then knocked out of the Europa League in the quarterfinals by eventual champions Eintracht Frankfurt.
Xavi's first Clasico in charge ended in a 3-2 defeat in the Supercopa de Espana in January 2022, but he got his revenge two months later in the league as Barca smashed Real Madrid 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
That victory came during a 15-game unbeaten run in La Liga, as they wrapped up second-place, despite failing to win their last two matches.
Xavi was unable to pick up any silverware with Barcelona in his first season and they failed to make a final across the 2021/22 campaign.
If that season was foundational, 2022/23 was more transitional. An ageing squad began to be revamped, with a last hurrah for Gerard Pique before he headed off into retirement and a final swansong at Barca for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Under Xavi's guidance, Barca clinched their first trophy since 2021 by defeating beating Real 3-1 in the Supercopa and by the end of the season, they had won their 27th LaLiga title with four games to spare. That marked their first league triumph since 2018/19.
The arrivals of the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha saw a new generation of Blaugrana superstars emerge, and Xavi firmly established himself among the world's elite coaches.
Champions League progress continued to elude him, though, as for the second straight season Barca were dumped out before the knockout rounds. A 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich in October consigned them to back-to-back group exits for the first time since 1999.
They were then beaten by Manchester United over two legs in the Europa League.
Heading into 2023/24, Xavi knew the size of the challenge. The aim was to retain their position as the dominant force in LaLiga but also to finally make up lost ground against the elite in Europe.
Things did not start well, and Xavi said he would "pack his bags" if his players lost faith in him following a 4-1 defeat by rivals Real Madrid in the Supercopa. Reports of his potential sacking swirled.
Barca responded briefly but then went out of the Copa del Rey with defeat at Athletic Bilbao, before slipping 11 points behind the title race with defeat against Villarreal.
That led to the crossroads moment. Following talks with Laporta, vice-president Rafa Yuste and sporting director Deco, Xavi announced: "I think the club needs a change of dynamic. For the good of the board of directors, it is best that I leave. For the good of the players, I believe that they will free themselves. We play with a lot of tension."
He was not wrong. With that "tension" lifted, results began to change. Barca beat Napoli in the Champions League last 16, while in LaLiga an unbeaten run of 12 matches closed the gap on Madrid.
Defeat in a stunning second-leg collapse against PSG in the Champions League has cast doubt about the long-term resilience of this current squad, but the Barca hierarchy then decided Xavi was their man for the future. What a difference a month makes.
MORE: Barca dumped out of Champions League by PSG in thrilling second leg
Xavi trophies won as a player and coach
As a player, Xavi won pretty much everything, both at club and international level for Barcelona and Spain.
Despite being a coach for only five years, he is already well on the way to a sizeable trophy haul in management, too.
Trophies won as a player
| Trophy | Number of Titles | Years Won | Team |
| LaLiga | 8 | 98/99, 04/05, 05/06, 08/09, 09/10, 10/11, 12/13, 14/15 | Barcelona |
| Supercopa Espana | 6 | 05/06, 06/07, 09/10, 10/11, 11/12, 13/14 | Barcelona |
| Champions League | 4 | 05/06, 08/09, 10/11, 14/15 | Barcelona |
| Copa del Rey | 3 | 08/09, 11/12, 14/15 | Barcelona |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2 | 09/10, 11/12 | Barcelona |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 2 | 2009, 2011 | Barcelona |
| European Championships | 2 | 2008, 2012 | Spain |
| Qatar Stars League | 1 | 18/19 | Al Sadd |
| Qatar League Cup | 1 | 16/17 | Al Sadd |
| Emir Cup | 1 | 16/17 | Al Sadd |
| Sheikh Jassim Cup | 1 | 16/17 | Al Sadd |
| World Cup | 1 | 2010 | Spain |
| Under-20 World Cup | 1 | 1999 | Spain |
Trophies won as a coach
| Trophy | Number of Titles | Years Won | Team |
| Emir Cup | 2 | 19/20, 20/21 | Al Sadd |
| Qatar League Cup | 2 | 19/20, 20/21 | Al Sadd |
| LaLiga | 1 | 22/23 | Barcelona |
| Supercopa Espana | 1 | 22/23 | Barcelona |
| Qatar Stars Cup | 1 | 2019/20 | Al Sadd |
| Qatar Stars League | 1 | 20/21 | Al Sadd |
| Sheikh Jassim Cup | 1 | 19/20 | Al Sadd |