Xavi sues TWO journalists for ‘publishing false information about him’ – after one alleged the departing Barcelona boss sent ‘confrontational messages in private’

Xavi has confirmed that he is taking legal action against two journalists for allegedly publishing false information about him in recent weeks. 

Claims had been made by Marca on Thursday, that the Barcelona boss has handed legal notices to Manuel Jabois of El Pais and Javier Miguel of Dario AS.

In a press conference ahead of their LaLiga clash against Las Palmas on Saturday, the Spanish manager revealed those rumours were correct, stating: ‘Yes, it’s true and this has never happened to me before.

‘I understand the criticism [of Barcelona’s indifferent season],’ he said before adding: ‘It’s time to say enough is enough.’

Jabois had sparked anger from the manager, who is set to leave his position at the Spanish champions at the end of the season, after he labelled Barcelona the ‘buffoons of the Champions League.’

Manuel Jabois of El Pais said that Xavi had sent him confrontational private messages 

It came after Barcelona were labelled the ‘buffoons of the Champions League’ 

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While the Catalan club have endured a tumultuous season, falling off the pace of their bitter rivals Real Madrid in LaLiga and crashing out of the Copa del Rey, Xavi’s side have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and will take on Paris Saint-Germain next week.

Barca had beaten Napoli 4-2 on aggregate to book their place in the last eight of the European tournament but after securing victory in their second leg, he hit out at damning criticism from some media organisations.

‘I told the players to stay calm, nobody was going to die today. The press were saying we were the buffoons in the Champions League, unfair criticism from journalists. Was that necessary? Are we still the buffoons?’, he said after his side thumped Napoli 3-1.

According to Marca, the speech had caught the attention of Jabois, who claimed on Spanish radio station ‘El Larguero’ that the manager had privately reproached him for his criticisms. He also implied that Xavi’s messages were confrontational.

While he said he did not want to reveal what Xavi had said, Jabois claimed: ‘It was private, through messages and in a quite dirty way. He won everything and thought that because of it he had become untouchable.’

Despite that, Xavi’s representatives have strongly denied that the messages were sent, according to Marca. The Spanish outlet also said that Jabois had claimed Xavi had sent the messages not directly but via a third party.

Barcelona sources say Xavi had never sent the messages, with his representatives claiming the Spaniard does not have Jabois’ contact information.

The outlet claims that the 44-year-old, who was appointed Barca boss back in 2021, considers the claims made by the journalist to be ‘false’.

Xavi denied that the messages were sent and that he does not have Jabois’ contact information

Xavi hailed his Barcelona side following their 3-1 victory vs Napoli in the Champions League

He hit back at what he claimed to be ‘unfair criticism’ following his side’s indifferent season

Equally, he is also reportedly undertaking legal action against Miguel amid allegations that Xavi had coerced fellow colleagues and staff members to put their mobile phones on a table to see who was leaking news. Again, Marca said that Xavi sees these comments as false and has ‘sued Miguel, who now has a deadline to rectify the information.’

After his side’s victory against Napoli, Xavi had also told reporters: ‘We continue to be a team in construction. Yesterday you told me that the team didn’t perform on the big stage. Now what?

‘The Barca entourage needs to be much more positive, it’s been a lost war since August. We haven’t been able to breathe. We’re improving, stay calm.’