Barcelona legend reflects on Xavi’s removal from manager role – ‘It was painful ‘

Ivan Rakitic may not go down in history as one of the best midfielders to ever play for the club. But during his six-year spell in Catalonia, the Croatian was an impactful figure in the middle of the park.

Aside from winning numerous trophies, Rakitic also had the chance to share the pitch with some of the celebrated Barcelona stars, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi, among countless others.

Rakitic on Xavi’s exit

In a recent interaction with Jijantes, Rakitic shared his thoughts on his former teammate Xavi’s exit as Barcelona coach this past summer.

“It was painful for me because Xavi is a close friend. I would have liked him to have had more success at Barcelona, ​​but that’s football. What’s important now is that the club keeps moving forward,” Rakitic told Gerard Romero.

Rakitic played at Barcelona for six years. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Rakitic played for Barcelona between 2014 and 2020. During his time at Camp Nou, he featured in over 300 matches for the club, notably sealing four La Liga and a Champions League title.

Rakitic on Yamal & Balde

Rakitic was asked about the rapid rise to prominence of select La Masia graduates including Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde.

The Croatian heaped praise on the youngsters, but highlighted that it will be important that Barcelona do not put too much pressure on them.

“They are great players and a great gift for the club. They have great talent and they have great responsibilities despite their young age but we must give them time to enjoy and learn more and not put too much pressure on them,” he said.

Rakitic, who left Barcelona in 2020, returned to Sevilla before moving to the Middle East to play for Al Shabab. But this past summer, the midfielder returned to his youth club Hajduk Split as a free agent.