Next Monday in the FC Barcelona sports city a decisive summit will be held to define the future of the bench. The meeting is, according to official club sources, “a regular technical meeting at the end of the season to analyze it, make notes and plan the next season.” But no one is aware that this summit comes after the doubts that have arisen again for President Joan Laporta with the continuity of Xavi Hernández a month after having ratified him.
This time, president and coach will not be alone as happened on the night of April 24 when they met at Laporta’s home. Xavi will be accompanied by his brother and his second coach, Òscar Hernández. Maybe also Sergio Alegre, third member of his staff. Along with President Laporta will be several members of the sports commission. Certainly the sports director Deco, the vice president Rafa Yuste and the football coordinator Bojan Krkic. It is yet to be decided whether the director responsible for grassroots football, Joan Soler, and Enric Masip, Laporta’s advisor, will also attend. The presence of Alejandro Echevarría, the president’s right-hand man, is also probable.
It was difficult for Joan Laporta to bet on Xavi Hernández. His relationship with the election candidate Víctor Font stopped him. He always dreamed of recovering Guardiola and his first alternative was the German school, with candidates like Julian Nagelsmann. However, after dismissing Ronald Koeman and given the complicated situation of the club, he allowed himself to be advised above all by the sports vice president Rafa Yuste and chose the Egarense. President and coach have a very good relationship and have always boasted about it. Despite appreciating Xavi, Laporta did not like the coach’s realistic speech nor was he convinced by the team’s play. He also did not like Xavi’s delayed resignation in January to the point of acknowledging in RAC 1 that if it were not because he was Xavi, he would never have accepted it. He did not go to Almería and, in principle, he will not go to Seville either.
Considered one of the best midfielders in history and a legend of Barcelona fans, Xavi arrived in November 2022 when Barça was ninth in the League. He finished second. Last year he won the League and the Super Cup. However, this season, which was presented as ideal to retain titles and play better, has ended in a blank. Xavi found himself with a short staff and a plague of injuries. Even so, he wants to fulfill his contract. Firing him and his staff has a cost of about 15 million euros.
It arrived in the month of June. He settled in Barcelona and began working alongside Mateu Alemany, the then football director. In those first days he even met with Xavi at his house to plan the season. But it was not until mid-August when the club made his arrival official. On September 2, Mateu Alemany, invited by Laporta, also left. Deco had a special involvement in the signing of Vitor Roque, who has not entered into Xavi’s plans. Next Monday at the summit Deco will be the one to present an evaluation report on the season.
Businessman and unconditional of Laporta. Yuste was already a manager in the first term of the current president between 2005 and 2008 and sports vice president between 2008 and 2010. He is also Xavi’s great supporter. In that sense he was key for Laporta to agree to ratify Xavi on the sushi night.
The career of the eldest Hernández on the bench has been linked to that of Xavi. He accompanied him in Qatar, first working for the Aspire Academy while Xavi was a footballer for Al Sadd and then joining his staff to manage the Qatari team.
The former soccer player arrived in mid-August. He is Deco’s main assistant. His job consists of monitoring Barcelona’s loan players and evaluating the grassroots players and coaches.
Former handball player, one of the club’s most successful players, is today the president’s advisor on sports matters. Masip is one of the critical voices of Xavi Hernández although in recent games he has been seen congratulating the coach.
He was president of Vilafranca, a Third Division team. He was also responsible for the sports area of Jordi Farré’s pre-candidacy, which did not make the cut for signatures.
Person of great descent from the president without official position within the club.