"Xavi knows that I would like him to continue, we'll see at the end of the season..."

Since Xavi announced that he would be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, the Catalan side have been enjoying a good run of form. The 'Cules' have only had one notable stumble since then, a 3-3 draw with Granada at home, and have looked particularly good in their last two games, against Napoli in the Champions League and Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.

In the middle of the international break, and before the first leg of the quarter-finals of the top club competition, Joan Laporta reviewed the current situation of the team in 'Mundo Deportivo', assessed the reaction that the coach had achieved and expressed his willingness to talk to Xavi again about his continuity at the end of the season.

"He already knows and can see that I would like him to continue. I told him at the time and he surprised me about the pressure, because he knows from his experience the pressure at Barca. He keeps saying that at the end of the season he will leave as we have agreed, but we'll see. Let's not put pressure on ourselves because at the moment that formula is working", explained the Barcelona president to the aforementioned media outlet.

"Depending on how the season goes, he already knows. He wants to stay to finish this stage with glory or to think about whether to continue", the president went on, who did not close doors: "The coach who comes in will have to adapt to our structure. That's how Barca have to work. It can't be that every time a coach comes in, the structure changes. The club is above coaches, players, presidents or directors".

"Whoever wants to come to Barca will have to wait until the end because we are not going to change anything until Xavi makes his decision. If he makes the decision to leave, those who really want to come to Barca will have to wait," he concluded, making it clear that Barcelona's priority is to convince their current coach to continue.

 

March 21, 2024