“Xavi Is Angry”: Barcelona’s Boycott of the Coach

The coach has been left out of the club legends squad. What lies behind the decision and the hard feelings

Sport 5 Published: 11.06.26, 14:41

Xavi Hernandez, one of the greatest players in Barcelona’s history and the team’s coach, has recently become an “unwanted person” in the corridors of Camp Nou, according to Spain’s AS.

According to the report, the former player was left out of Barcelona’s legends squad for the recent exhibition matches in Miami and Seoul, and for now he is also barred from future club activities.

Behind the scenes of this boycott is Alejandro Echevarria, his former brother-in-law and the right-hand man of president Joan Laporta. Echevarria, who manages the selection of squads for exhibition matches, was a central target of harsh criticism from Xavi during the last election campaign, when the coach claimed in an interview that “Echevarria has more power at the club than Laporta himself.”

Now, that public criticism is being translated into personal revenge, erasing Xavi from the club’s prestigious events.

According to AS, people in Xavi’s circle describe deep feelings of anger and frustration, especially given that the current veto prevented him from taking part in the match in Seoul, where he was supposed to play alongside his close friends Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Javier Mascherano.

The former star’s agents received a direct phone call from the match organizer, Luis Sa, who made it clear to them that Xavi’s offer to join the trip had been rejected and that he was not wanted in the squad.

While the situation currently appears deadlocked and driven by personal motives, Barcelona’s management is trying to project business as usual and downplay the severity of the incident. The club says this is only a temporary and procedural matter, one that is expected to resolve itself over time.