Enric Masip, advisor and a close friend of Barcelona president Joan Laporta, has opened up about Xavi’s controversial departure from the club at the end of the 2023-24 season. Masip said he was never in favor of Xavi continuing beyond the 2023-24 season.
Xavi Controversially Left Barcelona After the 2023-24 Season
Barcelona legend Xavi took charge of the club in November 2021, replacing Ronald Koeman at the helm. The 2021-22 season was underwhelming for the Blaugrana as they came up short both in the Champions League and the La Liga title. The following season, Barca won La Liga, beating Real Madrid to the punch.
The 2023-24 campaign, once again, proved to be a disaster, as Barca went trophyless. In January, following a 5-3 defeat to Villarreal, Xavi decided to step down from his role as manager. However, the resignation did not stick, as both the manager and the club expressed their desire to work together for one more season.
The situation turned on its head once more toward the end of the campaign after Xavi claimed that Barca would struggle to win anything without significant changes to the squad. His comments did not sit well with Laporta and Co., and they chose to sack the manager after the end of the season, eventually replacing him with Hansi Flick.
Enric Masip Opens Up About Xavi’s Exit
Shedding light on Xavi’s exit, Masip told the media (via Barca Universal):
“It’s not easy to assess how he left. He made the decision [to leave] in January after the match against Villarreal, then he wanted to continue and Laporta let him continue.
“With another, I wouldn’t have consented to it. I always thought that wouldn’t work. I advised him not to continue because I thought he had missed the team train and it is very difficult to recover it.”
He concluded by adding:
“I talked to Xavi later, I went to face and gave him my opinion as a former professional athlete. But I’m a club man and if I was determined, then everyone needs to grow together.”
Xavi, who won two Trebles with Barcelona as a player, oversaw 143 matches, taking them to 91 wins, 23 draws, and 29 defeats.
