PETE JENSON: Xavi has earned the right to carry on as Barcelona manager – but the narrative that he changed his mind to complete sensational U-turn lacks credibility

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was close to tears in his Thursday lunchtime press conference that confirmed Xavi is staying into next season.

‘We have a coach who is an extraordinary person; who loves Barcelona and transmits that with enthusiasm, confidence and generosity,’ said Laporta whilst choking up with emotion. ‘Barca fans should be proud of him.’

There was no shortage of emotion during his appearance sat next to Xavi at the club’s Joan Gamper training ground.

There were also plenty of outward signs of unity with director of football Deco, other board members and the rest of Xavi’s coaching staff posing for a group photograph. Everyone was doing their best to put a positive spin on what has been a bizarre twist to a trophy-less season.

But the narrative that Xavi has simply changed his mind about leaving and that the club, who never wanted him to leave in the first place, are delighted he’s staying, still seems lacking in credibility.

Xavi had previously announced that he would be leaving the club amid Barca’s poor form  

It means the Spaniard will now see out the remainder of his contract which expires in 2025

In the end there were other factors a play, most notably that Barcelona’s financial plight made it impossible for them to attract a top replacement. When they looked at the realistic alternatives keeping Xavi became the no-brainer.

The coach and the club agreed to part company at the end of last January after a 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal. It remains unclear if Xavi quit or if he was told he would be fired and so requested he stay until the end of the season. ‘I let him because of who he is,’ said Laporta aferwards indicating it was the latter.

Barcelona then went on a run of 11 games unbeaten, while in the background, attempts to line-up a replacement led nowhere. Jurgen Klopp committed to a sabbatical after he leaves Liverpool. Luis Enrique said he would be interested were it not for being halfway through his contract at Paris Saint Germain.

Even the less ambitious targets started to become beyond the club’s reach. Robert De Zerbi’s £12million (€15m) release clause took him off the list; while Bologna’s impressive manager Thiago Motta moved ever closer to taking over Juventus next summer.

Some coaches offered themselves. Former Bayern Munich and Germany national manager Hansi Flick was out of contract and is represented by Barca-favoured Pini Zahavi. His record did not convince.

All the while Xavi was overseeing a dramatic improvement in the team’s performances. It’s true that his side were then knocked out of Europe by Paris Saint Germain and lost the Clasico but on both occasions the club were left fuming at perceived refereeing injustices.

Xavi had led Barcelona to LaLiga glory in 2023 after being appointed as their manager in 2021

Barcelona had agreed to part ways with Xavi after a poor start to the season that culminated in a 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal

Roberto De Zerbi (left) and Thiago Motta (right) had both been identified as targets for Barca

Xavi has, meanwhile, overseen a huge improvement in his side’s performances this season 

There were mixed messages from Xavi on Thursday. He said he still felt the atmosphere generated around the coach’s position at Barcelona was at times ‘cruel’ but said he still had a job to finish. One reporter said he didn’t know if he should congratulate Xavi for agreeing to stay (as other journalists had done) or send him his condolences.

Xavi has suffered in the hot-seat but he never really wanted to leave and the upturn in form since January powered by the emergence of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and 17-year-old centre-back Pau Cubarsi gave ammunition to those in the Barcelona boardroom who were against him being fired back in January.

Xavi won the club’s first post-Lionel Messi title last season. And this season he has guided them through what was always going to be a difficult campaign away from the Camp Nou.

Aware of his willingness to continue, and unimpressed by the alternatives, president Laporta had been increasingly open to the possibility of Xavi staying and when the coach met with Deco on Wednesday afternoon at the club’s training ground to agree on a path forward they were both able to head to Laporta’s residence in agreement, and shake on an historic U-turn.

The manager has also brought in exciting young stars like 17-year-old centre back Pau Cubarsi 

Xavi has also has also aided the development of emerging young star Lamine Yamal

His job is to now to ensure the club finishes second to qualify for the Spanish Super Cup 

The job in hand now is to make sure the club finish second and therefore qualify to play in next season’s Spanish Super Cup contested by the top two in La Liga and the two cup finalists from the previous season. 

The tournament is worth £4.2m (€5m) euros to Barcelona and they need all the revenue they can muster.

The club’s wage bill is still double the LaLiga-set cap of £175m (€204m) euros, and no significant signings this summer was one of the key points Xavi had to agree to, along with some changes to the part of his coaching department dedicated to preparing the players.

Xavi has earned the right to carry-on. Asked if he might change his mind again before the season is out if things take a turn for the worse in the last six games he added: ‘It won’t happen again. I will continue no matter what.’