Monday 09 March 2026 – 10:42 AM
out Joan LaportaFC Barcelona president and candidate for re-election gave strong responses to the recent statements made by Xavi Hernandez, the team’s former coach, and Laporta defended his decision to dismiss Xavi and appoint German Hansi Flick, stressing that the results proved the validity of his point of view after the team went from failure to victory platforms with the same list of players.
According to what was reported by the Spanish newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, Laporta expressed his pain at the way in which Xavi spoke, saying: “It pains me that Xavi allowed himself to be exploited in electoral competitions. He attacked people from my close circle such as Alejandro Echevarria and Rafael Yuste to hurt me personally, even though they were the ones who defended him the most during his most difficult times with the club.”
Comparison between the eras of Xavi and Hansi Flick
Laporta explained the technical difference that occurred in the team under the leadership of the new coach: “When you are president, you have to make very difficult decisions. The truth is that with Xavi we would have continued to lose, but with Flick we started to win. We now see that Flick is succeeding with the same players with whom Xavi was losing, and this confirms the necessity of the change that we have made.”
Victor Font accused of inciting Xavi
Laporta directly accused his electoral rival, Victor Font, of being behind Xavi’s statements at this crucial time, saying: “I know that Victor Font is the one behind this matter. He is trying to distort people’s reputation from behind his computer screen, and relies on spreading lies and slander. I do not like this method, nor do I like the Barcelona fans.”
Background of the crisis: Xavi’s accusations regarding Messi’s return
Laporta’s responses come after Xavi caused a surprise earlier, by confirming that Lionel Messi was very close to returning to Barcelona in 2023, and that La Liga had given the green light for the deal. Xavi claimed at the time that Laporta was the one who stopped the return for political reasons, fearing Messi’s influence within the club and the power struggle with the administration, denying that Messi’s father’s request for huge sums of money had any basis in truth.
