BARCELONA, SPAIN – JANUARY 31: FC Barcelona Head Coach Xavi Hernandez reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and CA Osasuna at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on January 31, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Barcelona manager Xavi reportedly threatened to resign before the start of the season if the club sold one of his star players.
Xavi announced last week that he will be leaving at the end of the season following the side’s embarrassing 5-3 defeat to Villarreal.
Read: Barca President Names 13 Clubs Interested In Super League
However, things could have been different if Barcelona sold defender Ronald Araujo to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the off-season.
The Bavarians were looking for a new central defender and Araujo was among the reported targets for Thomas Tuchel, who looked to stamp his authority on the squad.
The Athletic reported that Xavi was against the idea of selling the Uruguay international and threatened to leave his role as manager if the player was sold.
Meanwhile, Xavi revealed earlier this week that he already made his decision to leave at the start of the season.
“It is a mental and football issue. Failures make the team weaker and the players lower their level. The football level drops due to the mental level,” Xavi said, as per Goal.
“That’s why the announcement of my departure. Furthermore, I believe that our work is not valued enough. I had already decided on it a long time ago, since the beginning of the season.”
Click here to register!
