On November 5, 2021, in the morning, Al Sadd made it official that Xavi Hernández was leaving the Qatari club. Hours later, Barça confirmed the signing of Terrassa as Barcelona coach. A year later, the team continues on its reconstruction journey and, above all, is undergoing a process of changing the guard that has been exemplified in style with the departure of Gerard Piqué. “I did not foresee this situation. I arrived with all the illusion in the world. You have to decide things on the fly that are not pleasant. But we are here for the good of the club”, reasoned Xavi.
If the coach relied heavily on the veterans of the team in his landing, those with whom he had coincided dressed in shorts, now the tables are quite different and there have already been games this season without any of the captains in the lineup. Club politics? Definitely. But also Xavi's decision, who insists that they are a team when it comes to planning the entity's sports guidelines.
Last season Piqué even played with obvious pain, as happened for example in the Anoeta match. He was absolutely essential, even physically diminished. This campaign, even Marcos Alonso has gone ahead of him in a game to form as a central defender when he is a left back. From fundamental to residual.
After the collapse of Barça in the last matches of the 2021-2022 League, Xavi made a stark X-ray of the squad, requested a series of signings that were mostly hired by the board and told Piqué that his role would be little less than testimonial if he stayed.
In this sense, it cannot be said that the coach was not frank with him and that he has not complied in practice with the message he conveyed, even at the cost of the relationship between the two being logically affected. After many years of relationship and being partners between 2008 and 2015, the end between Piqué and Xavi has not been smooth. There has been no middle ground. From titularísimo he became the last resort.
After 55 games, with 32 wins, 11 draws and 12 losses, Xavi's Barça continues a year later seeking consolidation amid major turmoil, such as elimination from the Champions League.
Another project is being built and in it the veterans, by law of life and by salary mass, have to gradually disappear from the scene. Piqué has already taken a step forward and Busquets, the only one who maintains the title, is expected to finish his contract at the end of the season and embark on the American adventure.
Sergi Roberto also ends his contractual relationship in June, and if he remains at the club it is at the express wish of Xavi because the board would have already given him the door last summer. As he tried to place Jordi Alba in the last market, who has also lost ownership due to the irruption of Balde and the arrival of Marcos Alonso. “It is sad to see how there are colleagues and friends who are saying goodbye to football. But hopefully we can build a new golden generation, we have many young players”, the coach concluded yesterday.
