A tumultuous 2023/24 had left Xavi teetering towards a second Barcelona departure and the Spaniard revealed in the wake of Saturday’s 5-3 defeat to Villarreal he’ll no longer be in charge come the start of next season.
His decision to remain at the helm for the remainder of the campaign is undoubtedly curious given just how underwhelming his side have been in the wake of their La Liga success last term.
The champions are already all but out of the title race and recently blew their best chance of claiming silverware by succumbing to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals.
Another home game is in the offing as Osasuna come to town on Wednesday night. Xavi is still without a whole host of players due to injuries and here’s the starting XI he could pick.
GK: Inaki Pena – Barca are desperately missing Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but there’s little indication to suggest he’ll be back anytime soon.
RB: Jules Kounde – The Frenchman may be pleased to see Xavi depart given his continued utilisation in a less preferred right-back position.
CB: Ronald Araujo – The Uruguayan defender is a shoo-in at the heart of Barca’s defence and one of few who didn’t produce a woeful error that lead to a Villarreal goal on Saturday.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – The 17-year-old replaced Andreas Christensen at half-time on Saturday; an indication of where Xavi stands with the Dane.
LB: Joao Cancelo – Cancelo’s error for Villarreal’s second was awful, but he’ll nonetheless be retained in the side given what he offers in possession.
CM: Frenkie de Jong – It’s hard to see Oriol Romeu keeping his place, so De Jong could return to the base of midfield in midweek.
CM: Pedri – The Spaniard’s a certainty to come back into the XI after he scored off the bench on Saturday.
CM: Ilkay Gundogan – Another goalscorer in Barca’s recent defeat, Gundogan has racked up more La Liga minutes (1747) than any of his teammates this season.
RW: Lamine Yamal – Raphinha’s continued absence should see young Yamal keep his place down the right flank.
ST: Vitor Roque – With Xavi on his way out and Robert Lewandowski no longer cutting the mustard, what’s the Spaniard got to lose? Give young Roque a chance on Wednesday.
LW: Ferran Torres – His shooting boots may have been left at home on Saturday, but Ferran should come back into the team. Given his typical efficiency and in-behind threat, he remains a useful profile for Xavi in the frontline.
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