Former FC Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez has revealed that he will never return to the club, accusing president Joan Laporta of preventing Lionel Messi from making a comeback to the Spanish giants.
Speaking in an interview with La Vanguardia, Xavi opened up about the breakdown in his relationship with the club’s president and detailed an alleged failed plan to bring Messi back to the club in 2023.
‘The president is lying about what happened with Messi,’ Xavi said. ‘Leo was signed. In January of 2023, I contacted him after he won the World Cup, and he told me he was excited about coming back. We talked until March, and I told him, “When you give me the OK, I’ll tell the president.”
‘We had the green light from La Liga, but Laporta threw everything out. He told me, verbatim, that if Messi came back, he was going to wage war against him and that he couldn’t allow it.
‘I tried to talk to Leo and he wouldn’t answer the phone. I spoke to his father (Jorge Messi) and told him I didn’t understand anything, and he said, “Talk to the president.” It was all set, it was going to be his “last dance,” like Michael Jordan, everything was ready.
‘I’m never going back to Barca. I’ve already done my time as a player and coach. Now I just want to tell the truth. Messi didn’t come to Barca because Laporta didn’t want him. It’s a lie that his father asked for more or that La Liga didn’t want him. Laporta has all the power at the club, and he knew that Messi would manage that power for him.’
Xavi also claimed that financial difficulties affected the team’s performances during his time in charge.
He revealed that a request to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad was rejected, with the midfielder eventually joining Arsenal F.C. for £55 million.
During the interview, the former midfielder also accused Laporta of being influenced by his former brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarria, whom he claimed holds significant influence at the club.
‘Laporta convinced me to stay when I had said in January I was leaving. He told me: “I don’t see the team without you.”
‘The president got rid of me without telling me the truth, conditioned by a person who is above him, who is Alejandro Echevarría. That’s to say, who really got rid of me as coach is Alejandro.
‘He (Echevarria) has more power than Laporta; he betrayed me.’
Xavi’s remarks come ahead of the upcoming presidential election at Barcelona, where Laporta is seeking re-election. Club members are expected to vote on Sunday between him and challenger Victor Font.
Laporta has since responded to Xavi’s claims, suggesting the former coach may be frustrated by the success of his successor, Hansi Flick.
‘When I see what Xavi has said, I think about Hansi Flick,’ Laporta told RAC1. ‘Being Barca president is a tough job and you have to make difficult decisions. I did what I had to do.
‘With Xavi, I saw that we were going to lose and that with Flick we were going to win. I understand that he’s hurting. With the same players, Flick is winning.
‘As for Messi, this is how it was: In 2023, I was told Messi wanted to return, and I sent the contract to Jorge Messi, who later came to my house and told me that there would be too much pressure back here and that they would prefer to go to Miami.’
