Xavi, the manager of Barcelona, may unexpectedly decide to stay at the team despite having previously announced his departure.
The 44-year-old announced his resignation from the position back in January after his team lost to Villarreal 5-3 at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys.
In his post-match press conference, the former Spainish midfielder said: “I want to announce that on June 30 I will no longer continue as the coach at Barça. I think the situation needs to change course, and as a culer, I cannot allow the current situation.”
Though speculation regarding Xavi’s successor abounded, Barca has gone on an amazing 12-game winning streak across all competitions since the announcement.
They defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 on the road on Wednesday to move up to second place in La Liga and secure a spot in the Champions League semifinals.
Furthermore, according to Mundo Deportivo’s Fernando Polo, Xavi might continue to manage for the Blaugrana.
President Joan Laporta and athletic director Deco are pleading with Xavi to stay, but it has become clear that his choice is dependent on two important requirements.
First and foremost, he needs guarantees that, despite the team’s well-documented financial difficulties, no prominent player will leave his roster.
Furthermore, Xavi is rumored to desire “significant” fresh acquisitions to bolster his team going forward.
Players like Bernardo Silva, Joshua Kimmich, and Martin Zubimendi have all been mentioned as possible summer targets. Laporta has been open about his attempts to convince Xavi to stay put and his optimism that he will succeed in doing so.
Speaking to the same publication, he said: “I told him: we respect the fact that you’re here until the end of the season. It’s your decision.
“We’re doing well, we’re getting better and better. Look, since he’s said it, he’s won again and we’re winking at each other as if to say something can happen here. It’s going like this, it’s going better [than before] and the objectives are achieved”.
