Back in late January, after Barcelona were handily beaten by Villarreal in La Liga, Xavi announced, in no uncertain terms, that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. Just eight months after claiming the Blaugrana's first title in four years, the club's manager was gone.
His decision certainly made sense. Xavi's achievements from the previous campaign had been quickly forgotten in the mass of tabloid headlines and incendiary tweets that form the Spanish media landscape. Barca were all-but out of the title race this time around, had just been thrashed by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final and looked some way off challenging for the Champions League once the knockouts got under way.
Fast-forward two-and-a-half months, though, and things look slightly rosier. Barca haven't lost since Xavi announced his departure, going 11 games unbeaten in all competitions, which included a win over Napoli in the Champions League that has set up a winnable tie against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, various members of the club's hierarchy have made it clear that they intend to convince Xavi to change his decision. Vice-president Rafa Yuste made that clear at the end of March: "I'm going to try to convince Xavi, but it's a personal decision for him. There are still league games left, the Champions League... We have to let him enjoy it."
This project, they insist, isn't over yet.
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