Xavi and Joan Laporta avoid contact at Andres Iniesta’s farewell

Spanish football’s elite gathered Tuesday to bid farewell to Andres Iniesta’s professional career, as the Barcelona legend announced his retirement.

Among the attendees were Barcelona president Joan Laporta, accompanied by his advisor and right-hand man Enric Masip, and former Barça manager Xavi Hernandez.

While the celebration honoured Iniesta’s illustrious career, an underlying narrative emerged as observers noted the careful distance maintained between Laporta and Xavi, reports AS.

There was considerable anticipation surrounding a potential encounter between Xavi and Laporta, following the manager’s controversial departure from the club earlier this year.

Their last public meeting at Sergi Roberto’s farewell in August had been notably formal and ceremonial. This time, they did not cross paths at all, with sources citing different arrival times, seating arrangements, and busy schedules as reasons for the missed encounter.

The root of their strained relationship stems from Xavi’s tumultuous exit from Barcelona. Despite initially agreeing to continue after having announced his delayed resignation months earlier, the situation deteriorated rapidly.

The breaking point came after a press conference where Xavi suggested that without significant squad changes, competing for titles in the coming year would be “practically unthinkable.”

The relationship soured to such an extent that Laporta didn’t even travel with the team to Sevilla that week, and Xavi was eventually dismissed in what many viewed as an unceremonious manner.

Since his departure, Xavi has maintained complete silence and opted for a sabbatical year while considering his professional future. However, his legacy at the club has faced continued criticism from various quarters.

Current Barcelona star Pedri has claimed that training under new coach Flick is “more intense and better” – something that has not gone down well with Xavi’s camp.

PSG manager Luis Enrique disparaged Xavi’s tactical approach in his documentary, comparing Barcelona’s style under the former midfielder to Eibar’s long-ball tactics.

Laporta himself has taken subtle jabs, praising Xavi’s successor at Barcelona, Hansi Flick, for “not making excuses.”

The missed encounter at Iniesta’s farewell suggests that the wounds from Xavi’s departure might still be fresh, with both parties seemingly content to maintain their distance for now.