Xavi won’t be sacked before end of the season – Barcelona chief،
Barcelona president Joan Laporta says coach Xavi Hernández will not be sacked before the end of the season regardless of the team's results.
Xavi, 44, announced he would step down this summer after last weekend's 5-3 defeat to Villarreal left Barca 10 points off the La Liga pace.
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After their elimination in the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey in January, Barça's title hopes now depend on La Liga and the Champions League, where they will meet Napoli in the round of 16.
However, Laporta claimed that regardless of the poor results, Xavi – who will forgo the final year of his contract, which was due to run until 2025 – deserves to end the campaign.
“I thought Xavi's decision was just in the heat of the moment, but I listened to him and realized he thought about it a lot,” the Barca chief said in an interview with RAC 1 .
“He spoke with a lot of conviction. He said he would step down at the end of the season and forfeit the remaining year of his contract. I told him that if we had to fight for him to stay, we would do it.
“I only accepted the offer because it's him. I never thought about firing him. I want him to stay until the end of the season. I'm not going to fire him no matter what. is coming. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves our support.
“We are going to fight in La Liga and in the Champions League. We have a competitive team that can beat anyone. It is a team that is better than it is, but there are other circumstances to take into account, like the injuries we suffered. “.
Laporta said the decision on who will replace Xavi as Barca coach is “ongoing”. [sporting director] “Les mains de Deco” and that the club is working on different options.
He also touched on a range of other topics, including Barca's breakdown in relations with Nike, the European Super League and the failed attempt to sign Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall.
Bergvall, 17, spent time at Barcelona earlier this week after the Catalan side agreed a deal with his club, Djurgårdens, but sources have told ESPN that the youngster opted to join Tottenham instead.
“He came here and we made an offer and are waiting to see what he says,” Laporta explained. “Tottenham offer more – and we have a lot of talented 17-year-olds.
“We offered him the opportunity to join Barça Atlétic and be part of the dynamic of the first team. Financially, you cannot compare our offer with that of Tottenham.”
Laporta also confirmed that Barca were investigating whether it was possible to end their link with kit supplier Nike before the contract expires in 2028.
“It’s not an ideal situation because we don’t have any stock of materials, everything hasn’t been on time and the market is paying double what we receive,” he said.
Asked if Puma could replace Nike, he said: “I can't name names. There are different interpretations on how the contract could be broken with Nike, which we are evaluating.
“We have been with them for more than 20 years and in difficult times they did not come forward. When we showed our teeth saying that the market offered us more, yes, they made an effort and we are with them grateful, but that is not enough.
“We want to find the best solution. There are three options: continue with Nike; accept a larger offer in line with the market price; or there is the possibility of doing it ourselves through BLM. [Barça Licensing & Merchandising]”.
Finally, he reiterated Barcelona's commitment to launching a new European Super League, naming 15 possible participants, but said it was vital that any project gets underway within the next two seasons.
“If it is not from 2024-25, it will be from 2025-26,” Laporta said about the start date of the new competition. “Otherwise, I will reconsider everything.”
