Turfcoach issues apology over use of Xavi’s image at event organised by Barcelona

According to SPORT, during the Sports Tomorrow Congress, held as part of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Turfcoach made an unintended but unfortunate joke involving former manager Xavi Hernandez.

The event, themed “Hold the roots, mould the next”, focused on Barcelona’s 125-year history and legacy, highlighting how its traditions can serve as a foundation for future sports innovation.

What happened?

One of the key speakers at the congress was Christian Theil, CEO and founder of Turfcoach – a German startup that has developed an AI-based platform for managing and maintaining sports turf.

His presentation caused controversy due to the use of meme-style images of former Barcelona manager Xavi. One of the images portrayed the club legend as a gardener and another with grass on his head.

The joke referenced Xavi’s frequent complaints about pitch conditions during his time as both a player and coach at Barcelona.

Apology issued

The initial report from SPORT suggested Turfcoach were responsible for laying the new turf at the Spotify Camp Nou.

However, in a statement on LinkedIn, the company has clarified that they are in no way working with the club while also issuing an apology if their image of Xavi caused any offence.

“We want to make it clear that Turfcoach does not work with FC Barcelona and that its intention has never been to ridicule Xavi Hernandez. If this is the case, and this has caused offence to him or his entourage, we apologise,” the statement said.

Turfcoach further highlighted that their intention to use Xavi’s image in their presentation was to share the former Barcelona manager’s message about the importance of grass and pitch in football.

“On the contrary, our intention was to prepare this presentation responsibly in order to support and share Xavi Hernandez’s message about the importance of grass in football.

“His attention to the state of the pitch demonstrates his commitment to the game at a high level, and we at Turfcoach share that vision.”

The statement also clarified that Barcelona were not informed about the slide that caused the controversy as it was a last-minute addition.

“We would also like to make it clear that the slide that caused the controversy was not previously shared with the club, but was added at the last minute.”