After a harrowing defeat to Villarreal earlier this year, Xavi Hernandez dropped the bombshell news of his departure at the end of his season.
The Catalan giants shortlisted a number of candidates to potentially succeed him on the bench, including the likes of Thomas Tuchel, Hansi Flick, and Roberto De Zerbi.
However, since Xavi announced his departure, Barcelona went on an impressive unbeaten run, and the club officials persuaded him vehemently to reverse his decision.
Xavi will stay put
Indeed, having previously expressed his desire to leave the club’s managerial role at the end of this season, the 44 year old seems to have found a change of heart.
According to Fabrizio Romano, after having a meeting with Laporta and the board, Laporta’s persistence was able to convince the Spaniard to be in agreement with Barca’s conditions in order to continue as the team’s head coach.
The details of how long Xavi plans on staying have not yet been confirmed, but one could speculate that he aims to see out his contract until June 2025.
