Barcelona refuse to rule out Xavi’s continuity at club beyond this season

Barcelona received a crucial milestone last night, securing qualification for the quarterfinal stages of the Champions League for the first time in four years.

This came on the back of a sublime 3-1 victory over Napoli at home, where Barcelona showcased the characteristics of a team ready to fight until the very end.

Barcelona refuse to let go of Xavi

In the aftermath of the victory, it was very evident in the Barcelona camp that the board refuses to let go of the idea of keeping hold of Xavi Hernandez beyond the coming summer, reports Diario AS.

Earlier this year, the Barcelona coach confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season, as he did not feel valued at Camp Nou. The team was also going through a rough patch at the time.

Since his announcement, though, Barcelona have played remarkably well and has emerged as one of the best performers in La Liga.

Even in the Champions League, the Catalans have secured a berth in the quarterfinal stage and have a significant chance of going beyond this stage.

After the win, Barcelona vice-president Rafa Yuste was asked about Xavi’s future. Heading into the game, Yuste had reminded the media clearly that Xavi had an ‘expiration date’.

But speaking to the media after the game, Yuste said, “I respect Xavi and his decision. He knows what I think and we’ll see what happens. I really like Xavi.”

Will Xavi remain at Barcelona? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

This is a clear hint that the Barcelona board will try its best to keep hold of Xavi beyond the end of the season. Even the sporting director Deco had not discounted this possibility, earlier in the campaign.

What does Xavi think?

Xavi, for his part, has remained unchanged on his future after announcing his desire to leave Barcelona at the end of the season.

“Right now, it’s impossible for me to change my decision. I will leave the club at the end of the season,” he said after the win vs Napoli.

However, at the same time, the Spaniard reminded the press of the improvement the team has had after his announcement.

“People didn’t believe me. I said that the team would be liberated if I announced my decision to step aside at the end of the season. So what now? We’re in the quarterfinals, as one of the top eight teams in Europe. Today we showed that we’re a Champions League-level team,” he said.

With Barcelona having every possibility of reaching the UCL semi-final or even the finals, Xavi’s continuity remains on the table despite his insistence otherwise.