Barcelona president sends a message to the players after Xavi’s continuity confirmed

Earlier in the day, Joan Laporta appeared in front of the media to confirm that Xavi Hernandez will be staying on as the Barcelona manager.

Laporta heaped praise on Xavi for his contributions to the team and how he has steered the ship at difficult times over the past two and a half years.

But before the press conference, Laporta had approached the Barcelona players in the dressing room, reports Diario SPORT.

Laporta’s message to Barcelona players

The report adds that Laporta, at first, informed players regarding Xavi’s continuity. He then went on to urge all the players to trust in the Spaniard and the Barcelona project, at large.

“Trust in Xavi, trust in the project,” said Laporta, who also hugged a few players inside the dressing room and instilled confidence in the team.

Laporta urges players to trust in Xavi (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Laporta’s gesture comes at a time when Barcelona are coming on the back of back-to-back defeats at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Laporta felt he needed to explain to the players why he decided to continue with Xavi. He also urged the players to match Xavi’s level of enthusiasm when it comes to steering Barça forward.

Finally, Laporta urged the players to focus on the season at hand. He pointed out that Xavi’s project is not finished and stated that the club must secure second place in La Liga this season.

What’s next?

Xavi’s continuity is an important decision, as far as Barcelona and their future growth trajectory are concerned.

It is no secret that not all players will be on board with the idea of Xavi’s continuation. But the Spaniard does appear to hold a certain respect within the team.

Keeping that in mind, Xavi will have the daunting task of reshuffling his squad in the coming summer, with many players likely to face the axe as part of the club’s cost-cutting plans.

In the meantime, though, Barcelona will focus on the remainder of the campaign, with the second place, as mentioned earlier, likely to be the main objective.