Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez will leave the club at the end of the season after a disappointing campaign, and it has not been an easy situation for anyone.
Xavi is one of the most influential figures in the history of Barcelona, as the second-highest appearance maker only behind Lionel Messi.
The former midfielder was one of the greatest to ever play in his position, and he won eight La Liga titles, and four Champions Leagues, as well as six Copa Del Rey trophies in his playing career.
There was initial excitement when he returned to the club as a manager in 2021, and he did help the club return to the top by winning La Liga in 2023.
However, Barcelona’s off-pitch crisis, as well as a downturn in results and performances this season saw Xavi announce that he would leave at the end of the season, and his former Spain teammate Santi Cazorla has now lamented his situation.
Santi Cazorla admits sadness over Xavi situation at Barcelona
In an interview with Sid Lowe in The Guardian, Cazorla revealed that Xavi, who also managed him at Qatari side Al-Sadd, has not been given enough credit for his work as Barcelona manager.
“Xavi’s case is like me and Oviedo. He apologised for leaving me alone in Qatar [at Al Sadd], and it wasn’t the same after, but he said: ‘Santi, it’s my dream, very personal.’ It’s sad he’s suffering in his own home, undervalued,” he stated.
“He arrived at one of the hardest moments in their history, won the league and Super Cup, but it’s never enough.
How Xavi changed his attitude since becoming a manager
Despite being a key leader in some of the best Barcelona and Spain sides in history as a player, Cazorla has also revealed that Xavi was fairly quiet in his demeanour during his playing days, but this completely changed when he became a manager at Al-Sadd.
“Xavi surprised me. As a player he never raised his voice and now…” Cazorla added.
“The first day we were losing. I watched him throw boots about, swearing, shouting. I’m thinking, ‘Someone’s swapped the guy I knew for someone else.’
“I asked later: ‘Xavi, what happened to you today?!’ He says: ‘I’ve changed completely. If you don’t, the dressing room doesn’t respect you.'”
It is clear that Xavi has not enjoyed the situation he has found himself in as Barcelona manager during a difficult period for the club, and having once been a figure of calmness, he has shown his aggressive side on the touchline.
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