It has been several weeks since Xavi Hernandez announced his decision to leave FC Barcelona at the end of the season, and still, there is no clarity on who will be managing the Catalan team going into the next season.
Several names have been associated with the club for this role, but as the form of the Blaugranes has improved significantly since Xavi’s announcement, Barcelona have currently stopped working on this highly important task.
Xavi’s continuity at the club is also not completely ruled out, and as SPORT has reported, the current head coach has three weeks before the club makes a decision about his future, and the two parties will meet after the upcoming El Clasico to analyze the situation and come up with the way forward.
Qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals was one of the main objectives for Barcelona this season, and the club has achieved this goal with Xavi.
The Catalans are now also fighting with Real Madrid for the league title, and the upcoming matches against PSG and Real Madrid will be crucial to determine how Barcelona ends its season.
If the Blaugranes are able to qualify for the semi-finals of the UCL, the club will try to convince Xavi to stay. On the other hand, if Barcelona fails at this stage, and is also unable to reduce the points difference with Real Madrid, his chances of continuity at the club will be minimal.
Internally, there is no consensus on whether Xavi should stay. Laporta is the main supporter of the former midfielder, as he is convinced that Xavi is best suited to lead Barcelona for now, especially as other managers linked with the club will also have their own weaknesses.
Other voices at the club believe it is time to say goodbye to Xavi and start a new project, while keeping the doors open for Xavi for the future. Failures against PSG or Real Madrid will provide even more credibility to this side of the argument.
Xavi himself has not yet hinted on going back on his word, but has also not completely closed the door on his continuity. However, he will also have some conditions before he changes his mind to continue managing Barcelona, and getting reinforcements for the pivot and left-wing positions will be at the top of his demands.