• Xavi tearfully met the Barca team after announcing his exit.
• He said an emotional goodbye following the 5-3 defeat.
• He has been coach since 2021 and won La Liga in 2023.

Xavi Hernandez, the head coach of FC Barcelona, met his team on Sunday for the first time since revealing his exit from the club and the Spaniard nearly cried, according to Diario AS.

Barcelona suffered a 5-3 defeat against Villarreal at home in a La Liga game and fell 10 points behind the leaders, Real Madrid. Xavi declared in the post-match press conference that he would leave at the end of the season.

The decision was a shock to many Cules, but it was inevitable given Barca’s poor performance in recent months, as they also got eliminated from the Spanish Super Cup and Copa del Rey in January.

The report said that Xavi met with the team on Sunday to clarify his decision in detail. As the Spaniard continued speaking his report, he almost burst into tears several times during his speech.

The meeting went on for about half an hour and at the end, the players applauded Xavi. The Spaniard embraced all his players one by one.

“From June 30, I will not continue as Barca coach. As a Barca fan, I believe the club needs a change of dynamic,” Xavi said in a post-match press conference.

“I’ve been a man of the club. I’ve prioritised it above even myself. I’ve given everything I have. And I will continue to do so to make the fans feel proud.”

Xavi came to Barcelona in November 2021 to take over the club after the previous manager, Ronald Koeman, was fired.

The 44-year-old managed the club in a total of 122 matches, in which he won 76, drew 20, and lost 26. He helped the club win their first La Liga title since 2019 in 2023, after defeating Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid and Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in the title race.

Barcelona are still in contention in two competitions, La Liga and the Champions League. Xavi can still bid farewell to the club of his life with trophies this season, although, with the way things are going, it seems very unlikely.

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