Xavi brutally ‘kicks Barcelona man out of his players WhatsApp group’ after being sacked and replaced by Hansi Flick following board tension
- Xavi was fired by club president Joan Laporta despite agreeing to stay on
- He is said to have kicked a figure out of the group due to persistent tension
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Xavi kicked a Barcelona man out of a WhatsApp group after his sacking, reports say.
Despite agreeing to stay at the club after making a surprise U-turn last month, Xavi was brutally sacked as manager by president Joan Laporta.
Former Bayern Munich and Germany boss Hansi Flick was announced as his replacement earlier this week and has signed a two-year contract.
Xavi, 44, led Barcelona to the LaLiga title in his first full season in charge but a rift in his relationship with the hierarchy led to his decision to step down.
He was then convinced to stay after discussions with Laporta and other executives, the same men who made the decision to remove him from his post weeks later.
Reports say Xavi has kicked a Barcelona figure out of a WhatsApp group following his brutal dismissal
Despite agreeing to a reversal of his decision to resign, Xavi was suspended by Joan Laporta (left)
According to Spanish publication SportXavi’s icy departure led to tensions between him and Alejandro Echevarria, a close confidant of Laporta.
It is claimed that Xavi was part of a long-standing WhatsApp group with Echevarria and former Barcelona players including Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes.
However, after Xavi was suspended, it is said that he formed a new group with the same club legends as the previous group, but not Echevarria.
Flick has been warned by his predecessor that he will ‘suffer’ in his new role.
βTo the new manager I tell you: you will suffer,β Xavi said after his last game in charge, a 2-1 win against Sevilla. ‘This is a difficult job and you have to be patient.’
Xavi said a bittersweet farewell to his boyhood club after a 2-1 win against Sevilla
He worked at Deco (left) and Laporta after deciding to stay on as manager last month
Barcelona moved quickly to appoint former Germany boss Hansi Flick as their new head coach
He added: βI don’t think our work is appreciated enough.
‘I took over when the team was in ninth place [under Ronald Koeman]finished the season in second place and won the league the following season.’
Xavi’s side ended a trophyless season ten points behind their fierce rivals Real Madrid, who could add further success in tomorrow’s Champions League final.
Marca claimed that Barcelona’s plan was to part ways with Xavi after the end of the LaLiga season, but the process accelerated after Flick agreed terms.
Flick’s last managerial role was with Germany, where he was sacked last September after a 4-1 defeat to Japan and a difficult 2022 World Cup campaign.
