Barcelona board members losing confidence in Xavi, job under threat?

The managerial hotseat at FC Barcelona comes with its unique demands and pressure like nowhere else and anyone taking over the reins needs to have immense mental fortitude.

So, when Xavi Hernandez was installed as manager in November 2021, replacing Ronald Koeman, there were some skeptics, given his lack of experience managing an elite club.

But the legendary former midfielder was given the vote of confidence owing to his familiarity and knowledge of the club’s philosophy.

Xavi, to a large extent, repaid the faith, leading Barça to a second-place finish in La Liga in 2021/22 after having taken over at a point when the top-four looked unlikely.

Subsequently, he even ended Barcelona’s trophy drought since 2021, as the Blaugrana won the La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in the last campaign – his first full season in charge.

Doubts creeping in

On the back of his success last season, Xavi was handed a new contract extension at Barcelona that runs until the summer of 2025.

However, doubts are starting to creep in about the 43-year-old tactician as the team’s performances have dipped over the past six weeks or so.

Indeed, journalist Alex Pintanel is reporting that some of the board members at Barcelona have lost confidence in Xavi.

It has been a rough road for Barcelona post the October international break, with defeats against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk coming as a big blow, while performances versus some of the lesser sides like Alaves and Rayo Vallecano left a lot to be desired.

A 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid seemed to be a turning point, but Barcelona succumbed to a heavy 2-4 defeat to Girona in the Catalan derby on Sunday, which seems to have thrown the cat among the pigeons.

Xavi’s comments did not go down well

As has already been reported in the media, Xavi’s post-match comments after the loss, where he mentioned that the team was still under construction and that his side were better than Girona, have not gone down too well with some of the higher-ups.

Xavi, at this point, has a lower win percentage than a certain Quique Setien as the manager of Barcelona.

Furthermore, reports of unrest and disruption in the dressing room have also started to emerge, with it even being suggested that some players believe they know more than Xavi.

Not to forget, president Joan Laporta got involved in the squad selection for tonight’s game against Royal Antwerp, allegedly forcing Xavi to include some players who were initially being given a rest.

Despite that, it is suggested that there is good harmony between the president and the manager. It was also reported that the decision to amend the squad list was not forced but made unanimously after Xavi held a discussion with Laporta and sporting director Deco.

But with the 43-year-old starting to lose support in the board room, a few more missteps could spell trouble for him. Even if there is no immediate change midway through the season, the situation could be assessed in the summer and changes could be made.