Barcelona officials have disagreements over squad planning for next season – report

Catalunya Radio has reported some disagreements within Barcelona management regarding next season’s squad planning, especially following Xavi’s dismissal.

While Xavi was still the manager, he and the club’s sporting director, Deco, created a list of players they intended to let go over the summer. 

This list included notable names such as Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix, Oriol Romeu, Marcos Alonso, and Vitor Roque.

However, club president Joan Laporta had a different vision. He disagreed with Xavi’s plans, particularly about Lewandowski and Felix. 

Laporta believed that both players should continue to play important roles in the team, even after the anticipated arrival of the new manager, Hansi Flick.

Xavi’s disagreements with his players

Xavi wanted Lewandowski to be sold. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

There were broader disagreements about Xavi’s approach to player management and training methods. 

Reports indicate that Xavi was not entirely satisfied with Lewandowski and made attempts to transfer the experienced striker. 

Meanwhile, Joao Felix struggled to find favour with Xavi. Initially, he joined Barcelona against Xavi’s wishes and despite a promising start, his playing time diminished as Xavi began to prefer Raphinha, signalling that Felix was never a key part of Xavi’s plans.

What about the others?

As for Alonso and Romeu, they contributed little to the team’s performance and were seen as surplus to requirements. Both players are expected to leave the club, a decision the management fully supports.

Lastly, the situation with Vitor Roque was particularly surprising. Roque was supposed to join the team in the summer, but due to Xavi’s insistence, efforts were made to bring him in January. 

Although he showed promise initially, he was eventually sidelined, leading to speculation about his future with the club. This issue was one of the main points of contention between Xavi and the Barcelona board.

As a result of these events, Barcelona are facing internal disagreements over squad planning following Xavi’s departure which has created friction within the board.