"There's No Point in Staying": Barcelona Manager Xavi Hernandez to Leave in June
Xavi Hernandez has said that this season will be his last as manager of Barcelona.
His announcement was made during a press conference on Saturday night following a 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal.
That result left Barca 10 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga.
Xavi spent almost 25 years at Barca as a player, having joined the club's youth team as a child in 1991.
Before leaving the Camp Nou in 2015, he made 767 first-team appearances and won 25 team trophies - including eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League crowns.
He returned to the club in November 2021 and has since taken charge of 122 games as manager, winning 61.48% of them.
Under Xavi, Barca won La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana last season but look likely to end the current campaign trophyless.
Manager Xavi Hernandez pictured during his Barcelona team's 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal on Saturday
IMAGO/Pressinphoto/Sergio Ruiz
Speaking on Saturday, Xavi said: "I've been a man of the club. I've prioritized it above even myself. I've given everything I have and I will continue to do so to make the fans feel proud."
He continued: "I think the club needs a change of dynamic. For the good of the players, I believe that they will free themselves. We play with a lot of tension.
"For the good of the board of directors, it is best that I leave. I will give my best [until the end of the season].
"I think all of that will help the dynamic change. This is the message I would like to give. I think I am doing the right thing."
Xavi announced at a post-game press conference that he will leave the club at the end of the season
YouTube/FC Barcelona
According to various rumors, Xavi's position as Barca boss had been getting increasingly unstable in recent weeks and it is possible that he could have been asked to leave if he did not do so voluntarily.
Xavi suggested that the intense scrutiny that comes with managing such a big club had negatively affected his mental health.
"In Barcelona, you always feel like you're not valued, you're mistreated - that's how the club works," he said.
"From a mental-health level, it's tough too. I am a positive guy, but the battery levels keep running out - and at some point, you realize there's no point in staying."
A 4-1 defeat by Real Madrid earlier this month saw Barca fail to retain their Supercopa title, before a 4-2 loss at Athletic Bilbao last week ended their bid for glory in the Copa del Rey.
However, Barcelona remain in the UEFA Champions League and will face Napoli in the round of 16 over two legs in February and March.
But Xavi added: "I wouldn't change my decision even if I won the Champions League.
"I will tell the players tomorrow. I'm the most responsible one, so the players will finally feel free now.
"I'm not driven by financial matters, but by my heart. I think it's the best thing for the club.
"I don't want to be a problem, but a solution, and I believe that between now and June I can still be a solution."
Shortly after Xavi's press conference, Barcelona published a club statement.
It featured some of Xavi's post-match quotes after beginning: "FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has announced that he is leaving the Club on 30 June.
"The blaugrana boss made the statement in the post-game press conference at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys following the defeat against Villarreal."
