“Xavi Is Angry”: Barcelona’s boycott of the coach

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

Xavi Hernandez, one of the greatest players in Barcelona’s history and the team’s coach, has recently become a “persona non grata” in the corridors of Camp Nou, according to Spain’s AS. According to the report, the former player was removed from Barcelona’s legends squad for the recent exhibition matches in Miami and Seoul, and as things stand, he is also blocked from future club activities.

Behind the scenes of this boycott is Alejandro Echevarria, Joan Laporta’s former brother-in-law and right-hand man. Echevarria, who manages the selection of squads for the exhibition matches, was a major target of harsh criticism from Xavi during the last election campaign, when the coach said 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 strong feelings of anger and deep frustration, especially given that the current veto prevented him from taking part in the match in Seoul, where he was supposed to share the pitch with 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 stalled and driven by personal motives, Barcelona’s management is trying to project business as usual and downplay the seriousness of the incident. At the club, they say it is merely a temporary, procedural matter that is expected to resolve itself over time.