A lot has changed for Barcelona and Xavi in the last few months.
The team was in disarray at the start of the year. We should not forget that.
Barcelona saw a significant drop in the end of 2023, facing difficulties in achieving a victory over all opponents in all tournaments.
Antwerp were better, winning 3-2 to close out the Champions League group stage.
They were eliminated from the Spanish Supercopa after a shock 4:1 defeat by Real Madrid.
They limped past teams no one had ever heard of in the Copa del Rey. Barbastro? Unionists? They were eventually knocked out by cup winners Athletic Club in the quarter-finals.
Reflections on FC Barcelona’s recent struggles amid Xavi’s departure announcement
At home, they dropped points to bottom-of-the-table teams in Villarreal and Granada, barely getting past bottom-placed Almeria.
The December friendly against Club America resulted in a loss of 3:2.
Why bring it all up now?
Because it’s easy to forget the big picture in the world of pro football, which is such a short-term memory.
When Xavi announced that he would step down at the end of the season, criticism of the manager in the media and among many fans reached a fever pitch.
From Xavi’s point of view, I don’t think he was trying to pull off some genius play with his players. I think his intention was really to leave. Football-wise, the writing was on the wall.
Xavi’s Departure: Win-Win scenario for Barcelona amid turbulent times
Barcelona may be going through one of the toughest times in their storied history, but They continue to be a dominant force in the game, filled with a strong sense of pride, and are eager to regain their proper position at the top as quickly as possible.
Expectations were always high. And any manager who would intervene had a huge, if not impossible, task to meet them.
By the time he announced his intention to leave, it was a win-win situation for Xavi.
Option one. Things don’t turn around on the field, but he looks kind and humble with the gesture. He leaves the job on good terms with the club and fan base.
Option two. Things take a turn on the field. This news will kick the team into gear, break through the tension and pressure that has been building, and find their way back into the season. Xavi still leaves at the end of the season, but with his head held just a little higher.
The second option finally worked out. The team regained confidence and form, and there was much to contend for in both the Champions League and La Liga.
Key lessons learned amid management changes and shifting team dynamics
And in the meantime, we learned a few things.
First, it is not easy to replace a coach. As Joan Laporta said, stability matters. You can’t just sack managers, treat them like scapegoats and expect a decision to be the magic bullet that will cure the club’s problems.
In addition, we learned that the president really liked the manager. Despite Laporta’s continued poor and unacceptable results, he never blamed everything on Xavi.
This speaks volumes for leadership at the top.
Second, we learned that Xavi has never lost his dressing room. In fact, the players responded by accepting responsibility, making no excuses, and collectively finding a way to start winning when it mattered.
Robert Lewandowski, who Xavi has stood behind through thick and thin (just ask Vitor Roque), is finally coming into his own.
Raphinha too.
They were Xavi’s men.
They were joined by young players from the academy who the manager also gave great opportunities.
Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal became stars in preparation.
Reflections on the FC Barcelona season
Fermin Lopez and Hector Fort alternated in their limited roles.
From Joan Laporta’s point of view, keeping Xavi was a no-brainer. Yes, this season has been a huge disappointment, but there was clearly more at play than poor managerial work.
Where did it all go?
Perhaps it was when Gavi, the heart and soul of the team, fell on November 23 while on international duty in Spain.
Or was it when Iñaki Peña stepped in for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen, the backbone of the team, for months?
Or will it be back in the summer with the unexpected departure of Ousmane Dembele a week before the start of the season? The Frenchman was the engine that powered Xavi’s attack.
Or a number of other injuries to key characters. Too many to count.
Assessing Xavi’s managerial journey: Challenges, mistakes and prospects for Barcelona
Xavi received a situation that most managers would avoid.
And yet we also know, as fans who watch every game closely, that the manager made plenty of unforced errors along the way for which he had no excuse. He consistently demonstrated his lack of experience on numerous occasions.
But it now seems clear to most of us that bringing back Xavi in the final year of his contract is in the best interests of Barcelona as a club and at a team level.
There was no one better, especially considering the financial constraints.
From a tactical standpoint, there remains a significant amount of knowledge for him to acquire.. Not just in the game, but in the larger strategy he implements from the start.
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Xavi’s Dilemma: Loyalty, Leadership and the Burden of Expectations
And maybe the expectations are more realistic now and he can manage accordingly.
By all indications, he won’t get much help in the transfer window. He will have to rely mainly on familiar faces.
But the familiar faces proved that they would fight for him.
And that’s where Xavi did best. He is a leader of men. he doesn’t give up. He continues to fight with himself.
But the big question for me is whether it is in Xavi’s best interest to stay.
It is rumoured that he had other options, with Manchester United and Ajax showing interest.
Part of me worries if there’s a bit of a martyr complex going on. He should not be expected or encouraged to sacrifice everything personally and professionally for the club he loves.
What if he has another trophyless season?
Realistically, will Barcelona be able to compete with a Real Madrid squad looking to land Kylian Mbappe? And with the ambition to steal Erling Haaland?
In the coming year, it is important to know what the expectations are.
We desire to see Barcelona’s participation in the La Liga and Champions League competitions.
At the same time, however, we should also appreciate the challenge that Xavi is undertaking.
He should clearly define what he means by this “project not yet finished”.
