‘Legend’ Xavi will fight until the end says Barca chief

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said Sunday he accepted coach Xavi Hernandez's proposal to leave his post because he promised to fight for honors until at the end of the season.

After Villarreal stunned Barcelona on Saturday with a 5-3 win which left the champions third and 10 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid, Xavi said he was stepping down in June.

"Xavi told me he will leave at the end of the season and wanted to finish the campaign," Laporta told Barcelona's media channels.

"It's a formula that I accept because it's Xavi who proposed it to me, he's a club legend, an honest, dignified person, and someone who loves Barca.

"Xavi's commitment is and will remain 100 percent until the end of the season."

Xavi, who signed a new contract at Barcelona until 2025 in September, led Barcelona to La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup last season.

However, the team's performances have badly dipped this season and they were thrashed 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final earlier in January.

Barcelona crashed to a 4-2 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals earlier this week, reducing their chances of silverware.

"La Liga is going to be tough, but it's still not lost of course, we have to fight to finish as high as possible," continued Laporta.

"We have to give everything we have to win the Champions League as well."

Barcelona face Italian champions Napoli in the last 16 of the Champions League, which resumes in February.

Xavi, who starred for Barcelona in midfield between 1998-2015, took the reins in November 2021 after Ronald Koeman's departure.