Barcelona forward superstar did not share the best relationship with Xavi at the club – The Athletic

Xavi Hernandez’s decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the season has certainly come as a shock to many of his supporters.

But it was a decision that was always coming, especially after Barcelona’s underwhelming performances over the last few months.

However, the decision may have also been motivated by Xavi’s fracturing relationship with some of the Barcelona stars.

The rift between Lewandowski and Xavi

A recent report from The Athletic has shared several key details regarding the backdrop of Xavi’s decision to quit Barcelona at the end of the season.

Although players have always publicly supported and backed Xavi, there was a lack of such a united front in the dressing room.

The Athletic claims that Barcelona stars – such as Robert Lewandowski – did not always have a positive relationship with Xavi.

The duo did not always have a positive relationship (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The Polish international had an on-and-off relationship with Xavi, which may have played a key role in his relatively poor scoring form this season.

Lewandowski’s fractured relationship with Xavi came even after the fact that Xavi was a key reason in convincing the Pole to join Barcelona in the first place.

It must also be noted that Lewandowski was not the only Barcelona player to have such kind of a relationship with the manager.

Several other unnamed Barça stars had not maintained a positive connection with Xavi, who spoke greatly about mental health and how he was not always valued at the club.

This goes to show that Xavi’s departure will not solve Barcelona’s problems and the onus is now on the management to diagnose the root of the club’s problems.

As Barcelona kickstart their search for a replacement, the dressing room appears to have a favourite in the form of Luis Enrique.