The Blaugrana boss should have the chance to walk before the club's season spirals into further despair
In the 45th minute of Barcelona's La Liga clash with Granada on Sunday, Xavi stood up, turned around, shouted in anger, and slapped his seat in the dugout. He had good reason for his frustrations; Barca had conceded a cheap goal once again, allowing a relegation favourite to saunter down the right wing, feed the ball into the middle, and finish past the reigning La Liga MVP, Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
It all ended in a 3-3 draw, yet another forgettable night in a miserable season for the defending Spanish champions. Barca have staggered through this campaign, gradually falling out of the title race as Real Madrid kept rolling. The Champions League doesn't offer much hope, either – they face a tricky tie with Napoli in the last 16, and even if they win, it's difficult to see a path where Barca end up lifting the European Cup at Wembley.
There could be more turmoil to follow. Xavi has already handed in his resignation, and will leave the club at the end of the season. Injuries have added up, and the surge of noisy neighbours Girona up the table has made Barca look even worse. As has become a theme over the last half-decade, it's all a bit messy in Barcelona.
In terms of on-field mess, Xavi is at the centre of it. He is a manager who brought immense success last season, but now a victim of the expectations of the job. Barca haven't been terrible this year; they just haven't built on the glory of last campaign. Regression, of any kind, is not to be tolerated.
It has taken a toll on the manager – chairs punched and all. He has spoken of the damage the job has done to his mental health, and the side effects of the crushing pressure of being the face of one of the world's biggest brands. Club president Joan Laporta, too, is visibly losing his patience.
As a result, Xavi would be better off leaving now, rather than waiting until the summer. Barca are stuck, and so is the man charged with leading them. This is now a human question, and letting Xavi walk immediately is the only answer.
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Mental impact
Xavi announced his resignation rather suddenly, giving a sullen statement to the press after a 5-3 home defeat to Villarreal in early January.
"I will leave Barcelona in June. We have reached a point of no return. It's time for change," he said. "As a Culé, I think that it's time to leave. I spoke with the board and the club today. I will leave on June 30. I took this decision days ago. I already knew it. But it’s time to make it public. I think the players could not free themselves up. I don’t want to be a problem for the club, but the opposite.”
There was no passion in his voice, no conviction in his words. This was a statement of defeat – and not necessarily a glorious one. In the three weeks since, Xavi has elaborated on the circumstances around his pending departure. The manager has referenced a range of issues; he feels he is holding the team back and can sense the uncertainty around the club. He also believes the media has made his job impossible. Most importantly, though, he could no longer cope with the pressure.
"I try to express what I feel. They make you feel worthless every day… I think we have a problem regarding the demands of this position," he admitted. "It is not enjoyable and it seems like you are risking your life every moment. That doesn't happen in any club. That's why I say it's cruel."
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Not alone
Xavi's tale is a familiar one for coaches around the world. The Barcelona manager referenced the struggles of his predecessors Luis Enrique, Ernesto Valverde and Pep Guardiola, while in a press conference, he publicly warned potential successor Rafa Marquez – the current coach of Barca Atletic – that he could face the same stress.
Xavi is not the first to voice these concerns, though. Guardiola said a similar thing 12 years ago when he, rather suddenly, announced his intent to leave Camp Nou. "Four years is an eternity," he famously said. "In December, I communicated to the president that I felt my stage here was ending. In these four years, I have become worn out. I have given everything and I need to recharge."
The now-Manchester City boss' comments came at a time of immense success, after four of the most memorable seasons in Barcelona's history. He needed a way out, and other former Barca managers have offered similar perspectives.
Ronald Koeman, who oversaw the decline of the club and fought the struggles of the post-Lionel Messi world, has expressed similar grievances. "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," he revealed last week.
It's an issue that expands beyond Catalan borders, too. In late-January, Jurgen Klopp made clear his intent to leave Liverpool with a similar sentiment. "It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again," he told Liverpool's website.
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In need of change
Meanwhile, Barcelona are at a stand still, albeit not at a point of absolute crisis. For all of the talk of poor performances and inconsistencies at both ends of the pitch, they should still be comfortably qualify for the Champions League next season. Although Xavi's side remain 10 points off league leaders Madrid, they have a five-point buffer from fifth-placed Athletic Club.
They have scored the third-most goals in La Liga, as Robert Lewandowski, amid chatter of a concerning decline, has still found the net 10 times in the league. Youngster Lamine Yamal has dragged the side to a number of results in recent weeks, and looks good enough to carry the team for years to come despite being just 16. Throw in Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo, and there's still plenty of building blocks to create an elite team with.
Laporta's gripe, then, is that Barca simply aren't where they should be. If pedigree counts for anything, they should top La Liga every year. If talent is important, this team still looks good enough to be in the title mix. Xavi has rightly come under criticism for his tactical rigidity, and mismanagement of a squad heavy on centre-backs and light in wide attacking options, but this is not a club in total distress.
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Improvement is possible
Based on talent alone, there is reason to believe that Barca could find some form in the coming weeks, albeit they face a gauntlet of away games, with trips to Athletic, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Girona all still to come before the end of the campaign.
The midfield trio of De Jong, Pedri and Ilkay Gundogan has been mesmerising for admittedly brief moments. Yamal, should his legs get the protection they need, will drag Barca to a few wins. Vitor Roque's tidy return of two goals in 97 La Liga minutes suggests that there could be more to come from the Brazilian teenager, too.
Xavi has also displayed a bit of tactical ambition. Andreas Christensen, a defensive pillar of last season's title-winning unit, has been utilised as a defensive midfielder to some success. Young full-back Hector Fort has impressed in a couple of appearances, while Lewandowski can never be counted out, such is his goalscoring prowess.
But all of these things have been pointed out before. Barca have the squad to compete, and the individuals good enough to win games on their own. Their current state has not been brought about by immediate slumps across the board, or a sudden disappearance of world-class footballing ability. Rather, this is a team-wide crisis of confidence, brought about by a manager who can no longer get the best out of his players. Improvement is possible, but far from a given.