XAVI has announced he will be stepping down as manager of Barcelona at the end of the season.
The Catalan giants are currently ten points off La Liga leaders Real Madrid and sit in third place.
The news comes after Barcelona were on the receiving end of a 5-3 loss at home to Villarreal.
Speaking after the game, Xavi said: “I will leave Barcelona in June.
“We have reached a point of no return. It’s time for change.
“As a Culé, I think that it’s time to leave. I spoke with the board and the club today. I will leave on the 30th of June”.
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He went on to add: “I took this decision days ago. I already knew it. But it’s time to make it public.
“I think the players could not free themselves up. I don’t want to be a problem for the club, but the opposite.”
Barcelona have struggled for form all season and have lost three of their last five games in all competitions.
Xavi’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season, but the announcement takes the potential of staying on any longer off the table.
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However it seems that the media criticism of being at the helm of a club like Barcelona may have been too much for Xavi anyway.
Speaking after the Villarreal defeat, he claimed he could never stay at the club for as long as Sir Alex Ferguson stayed with Manchester United – 26 years.
He said: “You asked me many times that if I’d be the Sir Alex Ferguson of Barça… the truth is that it will NEVER happen here.
“You guys won’t allow it — being Barça coach is so difficult. You see how they kill you, they criticise you, it affects you.”
“It’s a cruel job, it wears you down.
“In Barcelona you always feel like you’re not valued, you’re mistreated – that’s how the club works. From a mental health level, it’s tough too.
“I’m a positive guy but the battery levels keep running out — and at some point, you realise there’s no point in staying.”
The Barca legend arrived at the club as head coach in 2021 after a spell managing in Qatar with Al-Sadd.
During his time as boss of the Spanish giants he guided the club to a league title and a Spanish Super Cup.
The 44-year-old has struggled in Europe with his side exiting the Champions League group stages twice under his management.
Although the Catalan club did progress to the last 16 this season, but struggled with losses to both Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp.
Barcelona have been going through a patch of financial turbulence while Xavi has been at the helm and the Spaniard has managed to steady the ship for a number of years.
However he has struggled to keep the team performing this season with a number of disappointing results.
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Xavi is the second high profile manager to announce he will be stepping down at the end of the season this week.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp also revealed that he will take some time away from management and leave Liverpool in May.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
