Four-time UCL winners surprised by Xavi’s continuity at Barcelona – report

Despite initially opting to step down at the end of the season, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez will lead his side for an additional year.

Xavi had been firm about his plans to leave the team in recent months, but after talks with Joan Laporta and others, he agreed to stay—provided he received specific assurances about new signings.

However, during the months when he was expected to part ways with Barcelona, Xavi garnered a fair amount of interest.

Ajax were knocking on Xavi’s door

Indeed, as per De Telegraaf (h/t TheEuropeanLad) Xavi and Ajax had several in-depth conversations, and the 44-year-old coach was thrilled about their upcoming project, but then he informed Ajax of his plans to take a year-long break.

As such, Ajax were caught off guard when he abruptly announced that he would be staying in Barcelona instead.

Given Xavi’s work with youngsters since taking over at Barcelona, Ajax would be ruing the missed opportunity, as the Dutch side are known to cultivate young talents and also share a similar philosophy with the Blaugranes.

In a recent press conference, Xavi explained why he reversed his decision, attributing it to the crucial support from the board, the players, and the fans.

Xavi had interest from England as well

Indeed, reports have previously argued that Manchester United deemed Xavi a potential replacement for Erik Ten Hag in the summer.

Manchester’s offices kept a close eye on Barcelona’s moves in the past several days and they were similarly disappointed to learn of Xavi’s continuity because it eliminates one of their top management objectives for the upcoming summer.

Time will tell if any of these teams come calling for Xavi again, but for now, his focus lies on Barcelona, as he will be vying to make amends in the upcoming season.