FC Barcelona manager Xavi releases statement after sacking rumours surface

Xavi Hernandez, the head coach of Barcelona, attended a press conference ahead of the Rayo Vallecano encounter, when he dismissed rumours of his removal from the Catalan club. According to Barcelona-based newspapers, President Joan Laporta fired Xavi because he believed the current Barcelona lineup was unprepared for competition with Real Madrid and other important European clubs.

He said, “The club always assures me of its confidence in me. I don’t care much about the rumors spreading. The president and Deco send me clear positive messages. I don’t care about the rumours. I only care about Barcelona’s management and nothing has changed yet. We have a project and we are continuing our work based on the established plan.”

The manager spoke about the potential of the current FC Barcelona squad as he said, The current roster has exceptional quality and we will try to win all the tournaments next season. Our project remains clear to everyone. I have no doubts. I am hungry and very confident. I feel proud to be in my club and I am happy that I will compete at the highest levels next season.”

The daily "Sport" stated on Saturday afternoon that Laporta is resolved to fire Xavi and will be waiting for the second spot to be decided before informing the head coach of this choice, barely a week after reversing his plan to quit at the conclusion of the season.

Will Xavi Hernandez stay as the manager of FC Barcelona next season?

The press conference spanned slightly more than 10 minutes and consisted mostly of queries concerning his future. Xavi maintained that nothing had changed, but was not particularly persuasive.

It's unclear what will happen next, but Laporta and Xavi will almost certainly need to talk to resolve the matter. Meanwhile, it has been stated that if Barcelona decides to terminate Xavi, they will be responsible for paying €20 million, which the club cannot afford right now.