Idman.biz
Former "Barcelona" head coach Xavi Hernandez has made sensational statements about his departure from the club, transfer failures, and his relationship with President Joan Laporta. The legendary football player, who preferred to remain silent for a long time, stated that the official version spread by the club was completely false.
Idman.Biz reports that the most remarkable points in Xavi's statements are related to the club's management and the return of Lionel Messi.
"Someone else controls the club, not Laporta"
Xavi stated that real decisions at "Barcelona" are made not by Joan Laporta, but by his close associate, Alexandro Echevarria:
"Although Laporta fired me, this decision was actually made by Echevarria. Currently, this is how "Barca" works - the club is practically managed by Alexandro. Even Deco is limited by him. I once asked him what official position he holds here? Deco, Bojan were there, but Alexandro decided that I would not continue. The most upsetting thing is that instead of telling me this to my face, they made me wait two or three weeks."
Laporta stopped Messi's return
Speaking about the possibility of Leo Messi returning to the club in 2023, Xavi emphasized that the president was to blame:
"Leo's return was already resolved. We had permission from La Liga, both Messi and I wanted this very much. But Laporta stopped the signing. He told me that Messi's return could work against him. The reason Messi didn't come was neither the economic situation nor his father asking for a lot of money. This is a lie. Laporta and his entourage simply said "no"."
Meeting with Hansi Flick and moral legacy
Xavi said that his relationship with the current head coach Hansi Flick is excellent and that the German specialist came to his house to apologize:
"Flick is a very honest person. He came and apologized to me because the club was negotiating with him while I was still the head coach. I enjoy the current team's game. I am proud that I brought young players like Lamin Yamal, Cubarsi, Pedri, Balde and Fermin into the team. This is my greatest legacy."
"I am on the side of "Barcelona", not Laporta"
The specialist called the club's current management system and the constant internal conflicts a "disgrace":
"They create an environment where in "Barcelona" you are either with us or against us. This is a "everyone is against us" mentality. I am not against Laporta, I am on the side of "Barcelona". We need honest people. We have been living in conflicts for 20 years: Cruyff, Laporta, Sandro, Nunes... Everyone should be part of this club."
"My time is over"
Finally, Xavi stated categorically that he would never return to "Barcelona":
"My time in "Barcelona" as both a player and a coach is over. But I wanted the truth to be known. They treated me and Koeman very badly. The club needs a complete reconstruction."
