Ultimatum to Xavi in Naples
The situation at Can Barca can be considered extreme in every sense. The draw with Granada only confirmed the chronicle of the predicted doom. The vaunted reaction following the announcement of Xavi’s delayed resignation lasted barely a week, with this weekend’s failure laying bare all the ills of this team. So much so that now, as AS has learned, no one at the club can guarantee that coach Egarense will remain in the team until the end of the season..
All eyes are on the Champions League match against Naples in a week’s time. The result of this match could determine Xavi’s short-term future. Defeat could prompt the immediate departure of the current coach, with Rafa Marquez a possible candidate to make the bench for the rest of the season..
President Joan Laporta, who continues to defend Xavi within the club, is beginning to show clear signs of exhaustion in the project.as seen in the Montjuïc box this Sunday, throwing a tray of canapés into the air after the team had all but jettisoned their options for joining LaLiga. His advisors and confidants had been pressuring him for a long time to make a decision regarding the coach.as a first step in seeking a response to a season in which some still see the Champions League as the table of salvation.
Sporting director Deco also seems to have turned his back on Xavi, especially after his latest statements to the Portuguese media.later denied and/or claimed that FC Barcelona’s current model had run its course.
AS has learned that Xavi was the first to make it clear that if they do not qualify for the Champions League match, he will not continue his career.. The manager has always made it clear that he will never be a problem at the club, so if he sees that the best solution is to leave early, he will do it without any problems.. But now the coach is not in such a situation. He still believes that he can resurrect this “dead man” and bring him back to life.. Obviously, the goal in La Liga is to catch up with Girona and finish at least second, thereby guaranteeing not only the Super Cup, but also participation in the Champions League, while in continental competitions we want to compete until the last consequences, with minimal costs. commitment to reach the quarterfinals.
What is certain is that whatever happens this Saturday in Vigo, Xavi will continue. Ultimately, Naples will make the verdict. A defeat in San Paolo would have brought the end of Xavi’s project several months closer.