Could Xavi still be sacked despite resignation?! Barcelona president Joan Laporta admits he would have axed any other manager in current circumstances

January had been a cruel month for Barcelona. They were thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana and were also knocked out of the Copa del Rey by a dominant Athletic Club in extra time. The 5-3 defeat to Villarreal was the final nail in the coffin that forced Xavi to announce his impending departure from the club. However, Laporta hinted that he could have already been fired if he wasn't a club legend.

When asked if there is any possibility of sacking Xavi before June, Laporta said: “If it’s down to me, I won’t fire Xavi. He does not deserve that. He truly believes in the formula we have set up until the end of the season.

“Barca won’t give up in La Liga or the Champions League and we have a squad good enough to compete and win against Napoli. We don’t doubt how involved the management and players are. If it wasn’t Xavi, I would have already fired the manager in this situation.”

Laporta further revealed that the club has already started a managerial search to find Xavi's replacement.

“Deco is working on it; I’ve delegated this task to him,” he said. “I trust Xavi for the remainder of the season.”

Xavi made 767 appearances for the club as a player, second only to Lionel Messi. During his playing career, he secured 15 major trophies with Barcelona. In November 2021, Xavi took on the role of head coach, succeeding Ronald Koeman. In his inaugural full season, he led Barcelona to clinch the La Liga title.

While the team successfully reached the Champions League knockout stages in the current season, after falling short in the previous two campaigns, they face a stern challenge against Napoli in the round of 16.

Frank Rijkaard has reportedly been approached by Laporta to potentially replace outgoing head coach Xavi. The Dutch manager had an extremely successful first stint at Camp Nou in the 2000s where he won two La Liga titles and a historic Champions League crown in Paris after beating Arsenal in 2006. Barcelona have also been linked with other candidates such as Hansi Flick, Roberto De Zerbi, and Thiago Motta.