XAVI SET FOR CRUNCH TALK WITH BARCA PRESIDENT, LAPORTA OVER FUTURE
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta will meet with coach Xavi Hernández next week as he continues to weigh up whether to sack him as manager, sources have revealed.
Barça sporting director Deco, as well as other members of the sporting directorate, will also be present at the meeting, which will take place after the club’s final LaLiga game of the season against Sevilla on Sunday.
Club sources have told ESPN hat the meeting will serve as a debrief for Barça’s trophyless season, but it comes with Xavi’s future once again in the spotlight.
It was revealed last week that Laporta is seriously considering firing the coach and, while a decision has still not been made, there are more people inside the president’s circle pushing for him to make a change.
If Xavi does leave, Atlétic coach Rafa Márquez, Hansi Flick and departing Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel are among the candidates to replace him. Thiago Motta and former Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi have also been linked.
Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that Deco and Bojan Krkic, who works alongside the sporting director, travelled to London on Wednesday, although the motive for the trip remains unclear.
The developments represent the latest chaotic twist in a saga which has been running since January, when Xavi first announced his intention to step down at the end of the season.
In April, following a meeting with Laporta at his residency in Barcelona, Xavi U-turned on his decision and revealed he would fulfil his contract, which runs until 2025.
However, comments made by Xavi last week, in which he spoke about the harsh realities of the club’s financial situation, re-opened the debate about his future once again.
While those remarks have proved the spark for Laporta to weigh up firing Xavi, sources revealed that the president has never fully backed the coach.
The two men will now meet next week to analyse Barça’s campaign, assess where it went wrong and discuss the future, with sources saying a definitive decision on Xavi’s position is likely to arrive soon after.
Xavi took over Barça in 2021 and led them to their first LaLiga title since 2019 last season, but the team have failed to kick on this year and will end the campaign without any silverware.
Last weekend’s win over Rayo Vallecano did at least secure second place in the table, which guarantees a place in the Spanish Supercopa next season, but the Blaugrana came up short in the Champions League, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Supercopa.
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