Barcelona’s board has reportedly given Xavi Hernandez a major ultimatum, even though he has already announced he will leave at the end of the season.
On Saturday night, after Barcelona’s 5-3 loss to Villarreal, Xavi Hernandez held a late-night press conference. The packed room hung on the Catalan coach’s every word as he dropped a bombshell: “I want to announce that I will no longer be the coach of Barcelona from June 30th. I think the situation deserves a change of direction, and as a Cule I cannot allow it to continue like this,” he said.
Two games to save his job
But it seems that the Catalan board is not ruling out an earlier departure, according to Spanish TV show El Chiringuito. The Barcelona board, aware of the importance of the remaining months of the season, including the La Liga and Champions League, has reportedly given Xavi an ultimatum: if he loses the next two games, against Osasuna and Deportivo Alaves, he could be sacked immediately.
This is a strong move by Joan Laporta, and it puts even more pressure on a squad that has struggled to cope with it since the start of the season. With just three weeks to go until their highly anticipated Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli, Barcelona is on the brink of implosion.
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