Three days after announcing that he will stop coaching Barcelona on June 30, Xavi insisted that wear and tear at the club is the main reason for his decision that makes Barça enter an unknown dimension. The coach assured that the pressure from the Barça bench is a lifeless experience. “That’s how I feel. They make you feel worthless every day. Speaking with Pep he warned me, Valverde also told me and with Luis Enrique I experienced it, I saw him suffer. That’s not quality of life. Here it seems like you are risking your life at every moment. That’s why I say it’s cruel: it’s not enjoyable,” he clarified.
In that sense, that wear and tear does not compensate, the coach wanted to warn the next tenant of the position, who will also suffer this constant erosion of his morale by the environment. “It’s just that he’s going to pass it on. That’s the problem. My advice? Let him be him and don’t let himself be influenced. I’ve done. My dream was to coach Barcelona and win by playing well. And we have done it, although not this season. My advice is to enjoy it but that is impossible,” he predicted.
Xavi revealed that the decision began to take shape at the beginning of the season, despite the fact that he later signed the renewal, and reiterated that it is not President Laporta’s problem. “I have always felt supported, with my heart in hand. I am grateful for the opportunity. It’s not that he hasn’t valued me inside,” he pointed out. “The president. “It is in general. Our work is not valued enough that we came at a critical moment in the history of the club,” he noted.
The coach has always sought to align himself with the president’s theses, although the triumphalism in the story could have harmed him. “Possibly, but when I say that we are under construction you kill me, and when I say that we do not have the 2010 team that is also what I think and I am criticized. I have the feeling that whatever I do and whatever I say is never enough. That’s why I left. I don’t think they’re going to buy me anything. Neither winning the League with 12 points nor the Super Cup with a great game,” he lamented.
The Egarense stated that he is leaving “proud” and with “a clear conscience because I have prioritized the team and the players. You say that I have made a thousand excuses but I have never complained,” he defended.
However, despite all these inconveniences, Xavi did not rule out returning to the club in the future. “I do not rule. I am a club man and Barça will have me for whatever they need. But now I think he doesn’t need me. But I don’t rule it out at all,” he revealed.
The coach is very convinced of the decision he has made. “We need a reaction. That’s what I told the president. Barcelona fans need hope for next season. “It is the best decision because we need a reaction: the club, the players, the people and the press,” he reasoned.
After those 72 hours, Xavi is happy for the affection his players have shown him. “There have been footballers who have made me excited. The announcement is so that the reaction is positive. In August I will come to cheer you on at the Gamper. The four remaining months have to be the best,” he wished, starting with this Wednesday against Osasuna. Against Granada, on February 11, he announced that Ter Stegen will return.
