Being Barcelona manager is ‘an attack on your mental health’, claims Ronald Koeman, as ex-Blaugrana boss throws support behind Xavi following resignation announcement

Xavi has been vocal about the stress of the Barcelona job in recent weeks. The former Bluagrana midfielder announced that he will leave the post at the end of the season, and has spoken candidly about the job as a result.

Koeman, Xavi's predecessor, admitted that he found the job equally taxing. He revealed as such in an interview with Good Morning Eredivisie: "Being Barca coach is an attack on mental health. It is much more fun to be a Barcelona player than a coach, and Xavi, as a Catalan and son of the club, has surely noticed it. It's the hardest job I've ever done."

Koeman's comments follow a series of incendiary remarks from Xavi, who showed little hesitation in crticising the club culture: "It is a mental and football issue. Failures make the team weaker and the players lower their level. The football level drops due to the mental level. That's why [I have made] the announcement of my departure. Furthermore, I believe that our work is not valued enough. I had already decided on it a long time ago, since the beginning of the season."

Nine months after winning La Liga, the Blaugrana are firmly out of this season's title race. Xavi's side find themselves in third, eight points behind league leaders Real Madrid. Koeman was removed from the position in November 2021.

The Blaugrana continue La Liga action this weekend when they host 19th-placed Granada. After that, they travel to Italy to face Napoli in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League clash.