Although Barcelona convinced Xavi to stay a few weeks ago, there could be a surprise U-turn in the coming days – it's now Barca who reportedly want him out.
Let's list the potential positives and negatives of this decision.
PROs
Xavi will avoid extra pressure
After such tense debates whether the Barca boss deserves to stay or not, every bad result could be viewed as a tragedy by fans and media, putting some unneeded pressure on Xavi. The atmosphere surrounding the club remains heated and Xavi's exit could partly fix it.
It could benefit some players
While part of the locker room definitely want Xavi to stay, players like Vitor Roque and Joao Felix would probably benefit from his dismissal in hope of becoming important players under the new manager.
CONs
That's NOT how you treat a club legend
Spending months trying to keep Xavi before sacking him for just one defeat and some reasonable words said at a press conference? That's not only disrespectful to one of Barca's greatest icons – that also harms the club's reputation. What big manager would want to join us afterwards?
Barca would have to go for financial sacrifice
Kicking Xavi out reportedly would mean paying €15m to him and his staff. Even if he renounces his debt as a 'club man', they would still have to pay him €7m. Barca's current financial situation doesn't allow to spend such fees on things like dismissals, so is it really worth it?
Xavi's departure could be bad news for most Barca players...
... and those who want to play for the club with him as coach.
Let's not forget Xavi's figure was crucial to sealing some important deals in the summer of 2022 when Barca became competitive again. Many current Blaugrana players have backed Xavi over the past months when things got difficult – partly because they know who he is and how impactful he can be.
