Xavi Hernández will leave his position as Barcelona coach after the final game of the season on Sunday, the club said in a statement on Friday.
A source told ESPN that former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick is “on track” to replace him.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Barcelona president Joan Laporta met with Xavi after training on Friday to confirm the club's decision on the change of course.
The move comes just a month after Xavi and Laporta announced in a joint press conference that the Catalan coach would honor his contract, which runs until 2025, despite previously planning to resign this summer.
“The president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has informed Xavi Hernández that he will not continue as coach during the 2024-25 season,” Barcelona said in a statement.
“The meeting took place at the training ground with the presence of vice president Rafa Yuste, sports director Deco and Xavi's assistants, Óscar Hernández and Sergio Alegre.
“Barcelona would like to thank Xavi for his work as a coach, which adds to his unparalleled career as a player and captain of the first team, and wish him all the best for the future.
“Xavi will coach Sunday's game against Sevilla in what will be his last game as a coach.
“In the coming days, Barcelona will announce the new technical structure of the first team squad.”
Flick, 59, has been out of work since leaving Germany in 2023 but has impressed the Barca hierarchy in talks, with ESPN reporting this week that he emerged as the leading candidate to replace Xavi.
Barça B coach Rafa Márquez and outgoing Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel were also considered, but a source said negotiations with Flick's team were already advanced.
Xavi announced in January that he would resign at the end of the season, although he made a U-turn in April, revealing that he would stay and fulfill his contract. That decision was made after a meeting with Laporta, but the Barça president changed his mind and decided to seek a change of course.
Laporta was upset by comments made by Xavi last week about the financial difficulties facing the club in the transfer market, although sources added that the former Spain international has never fully convinced the president.
Sources repeatedly told ESPN this week that Xavi and his staff had not received any official information about his future, although they had suspected for some time that they were living out their final days at Barca.
It remains to be seen how Xavi leaves the club. He was previously willing to give up the final year of his contract, but given the change in circumstances, sources have neither confirmed nor denied whether he will ask to be paid the remaining year of his contract.
Xavi, who played more than 700 games for Barça as a player, took over in 2021 and last season led the team. blaugrana to a first LaLiga title since 2019.
“It is never easy to leave the club of your life, but I am very proud after two and a half years at the helm of a dressing room that has been like a second family,” said Xavi in a publication on social networks.
“Starting on Sunday I will be another fan in the stands… Because before being a player or coach I am a Barcelona fan and I only want the best for the club in my life, which will always have me at its disposal.
“This season things haven't gone the way we wanted, but we've let it go and helped grow a new generation of young footballers since The Masia who inspire all Barcelona fans… I wish the best for the club that I hold dear in my heart.”
Meanwhile, Laporta has admired Flick for a long time. In May 2021, ESPN revealed that Barça contacted Flick's team to find out his availability, but the then Bayern coach had already committed to the Germany national team and, therefore, the club decided to keep Ronald. Koeman.
The situation is different this time, with Flick out of a job since being fired by Germany in September 2023. Before leading Germany, Flick led Bayern to a treble in 2020, beating Barça 8-2 en route to winning the Champions League.
Much of his coaching career was spent working as Joachim Löw's assistant with the German national team, a position he held when Germany won the World Cup in 2014.
