The world of football is a cruel one, and FC Barcelona happens to be a part of that world. Clubs all over the world are forced to make difficult decisions, and it is a common occurrence. However, the latest managerial change made by Barcelona was quite the tough pill to swallow.
Whether it was because of the lack of positive results or the words spoken by him in the media, Xavi Hernandez was ultimately relieved of his duties by Barcelona. The coach was promptly replaced as well, with former Germany and Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick arriving to take his place.
However, given that this was Xavi’s first-ever European job as a manager, it may have been a tough pill to swallow for him as well. Yet, as highlighted by SPORT, some kind words have arrived from his rival coach over at Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, and they may provide some comfort for the departing Barcelona coach:
“This is the first time he has been sacked and with time I think he will understand it as part of the job. When there is not a good relationship between the club and the coach, separation is the best thing. It happened to me several times.”
Previously, even Ancelotti himself has had to deal with several such issues over the course of his managerial career. Despite being one of European football’s most decorated coaches, the Italian technician has been sacked on four different occasions during the course of that career, including once by Real Madrid in 2015.
FC Barcelona, on the other hand, are now focused on continuing with Hansi Flick. The German coach enters with a lot of expectations riding on his shoulders and for good reason.
Xavi’s underwhelming recent season has left a lot to be desired, and the former Bayern coach hopes to do better with the Barcelona squad that he has inherited.
