Barcelona Coach Xavi to Depart: Season's End Decision

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he accepted coach Xavi Hernandez's proposal to leave his post because he promised to fight for honors until at the end of the season.

After Villarreal stunned Barcelona on Saturday with a 5-3 win which left the champions third, and 10 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid, Xavi said he was stepping down in June. 

"Xavi told me he will leave at the end of the season and that he wanted to finish the campaign," Laporta told Barcelona's media channels.

"Xavi's commitment is and will remain 100 percent until the end of the season."

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez speaks out on the demands of being the Barça coach role during his first press conference after announcing his departure from the club, ahead of the La Liga match against Osasuna.

"I think there is a problem because first you don't enjoy the quality of life and then it seems that your life is at stake here at every moment," he says about the demands of the role. "I have the feeling that whatever I do and whatever I say is not enough and that's why I decided to leave before the season started," he adds.

Xavi, who signed a new contract at Barcelona until 2025 in September, led Barcelona to La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup last season.

However the team's performances have badly dipped this season and they were thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier in January.

Barcelona crashed to a 4-2 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals earlier this week, further reducing their chances of silverware.

Barcelona face Italian champions Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League, which resumes in February.

Xavi, who starred for Barcelona in midfield between 1998-2015, took the reins in November 2021 after Ronald Koeman's departure.