SETTABLOID – Page 376

Xavi requests €2.5 million reimbursement and his staff’s salary from Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez’s reign at FC Barcelona has finally come to an end. Despite a bittersweet ending, with the club’s leadership not handling his exit in the best of fashion, Xavi continues to carry himself gracefully.

He has consistently demonstrated respect for Joan Laporta and his colleagues in public forums, showing no signs of harbouring any ill will.

In fact, there is no greater proof of Xavi’s genuine support than his desire to avoid becoming a financial burden on his boyhood club.

Xavi only asks for a minimal reimbursement

When news of Barcelona intending to part ways with Xavi broke out, rumours claimed that the club could potentially incur a significant cost to dismiss Xavi.

However, the 44-year-old is sticking to his word and will forgive a significant sum of money, between €11 and €12 million.

Now, as per Mundo Deportivo Xavi’s only requests are for the club to reimburse the €2.5 million he paid to terminate his contract with former club Al-Sadd and to ensure his staff receive the remainder of their payments.

This amount is relatively small compared to the €11 million he has forgiven, which will contribute to Barça’s salary fair play and thus would still not take a toll on the Catalans’ financial situation.

An agreement has been reached on the same and the manager will receive the €2.5 million he paid to get out of his contract at Al-Sadd.

As such, Xavi’s deal at Barcelona is now formally considered to be terminated.

Real reason behind Xavi’s sacking

Xavi’s press conference ahead of the Almeria game, in which he highlighted the club’s financial problems, appeared to cause the most outrage from the board.

Even so, according to prior reports, the club’s lack of faith in Xavi was the real cause of his firing as Barcelona’s coach.

All previous reasons given for his departure were merely smokescreens to conceal the underlying issue of mistrust between Xavi and the club.

In any case, the saga has concluded once and for all. Very soon, it will be Hansi Flick’s turn to bear the pressure on the hot seat.

Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix very close to continuing at Barcelona – report

With Barcelona set to appoint Hansi Flick as the new manager, there are question marks over the futures of some of the players at the club.

Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix, on loan currently from Manchester City and Atletico Madrid respectively, were counted among the players who might not continue at Barcelona beyond this season.

After all, Barça are not in a position to afford permanent moves for either player while there were some doubts about both players owing to their inconsistent performances.

The Joaos set to contiune

But, as per a new update from journalist Jose Alvarez on El Chiringuito TV, both Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix are very close to continuing at Barcelona for the next season.

A new right-back is very much needed for the Blaugrana and while negotiating with Manchester City could still be a challenge, it appears that Hansi Flick, Deco & co. are convinced about keeping him at the club.

This comes only days after reports emerged claiming that the German tactician had some doubts about Cancelo.

The Portuguese international has had a fairly solid campaign at Barça, although he was guilty of making some costly errors in big games against PSG and Real Madrid.

As for Felix, former manager Xavi was not keen on retaining him but Deco and Joan Laporta were both in favour of holding onto him.

And with his agent, Jorge Mendes, working to engineer another loan agreement between Barça and Atletico Madrid, the forward looks likely to continue.

However, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the scheme of things under Flick, having lost some prominence towards the end of the season under Xavi.

Barcelona rule out summer move for €60 million-rated top midfield target

As Hansi Flick moves closer to joining Barcelona as the head coach, one of his first moves will be to dictate the club’s transfer policies.

Flick will particularly look to reinforce the midfield department, especially amid uncertainty over the future of Frenkie de Jong while Oriol Romeu looks all set to rejoin Girona in the coming summer.

To that end, one of Barcelona’s top targets this summer is Joshua Kimmich – a player who shares a good relationship with Flick. Many even expect Barça to gain a significant upper hand in the Kimmich pursuit thanks to the arrival of Flick.

Barcelona rule out Kimmich move

However, according to Jose Alvarez of El Chiringuito, it appears Barcelona have ruled out the prospect of signing Joshua Kimmich this summer.

This comes on the back of Bayern Munich being on the verge of appointment Vincent Kompany as their next coach.

While it’s unlikely that the arrival of Kompany could have influenced Kimmich’s decision or stance over his future, Barcelona’s failure in the pursuit could be linked to economic differences.

Bayern, after all, were holding out for a fee of €60 million for the services of Kimmich, which is quite the fortune given the club’s current economic situation.

Barcelona, therefore, were never really involved in the race to sign Kimmich and are likely to shift their attention to more cost-effective alternatives.

The club’s pursuit of Guido Rodriguez has gained strength in recent weeks, with Hansi Flick recently signalling a green light to the operation.

Barcelona would ideally like to bring in more reinforcements in the midfield department this summer, but it will depend on whether or not the club can get rid of unwanted stars and bring in fresh revenue.

A recent report has indicated that not too many Barcelona stars are keen on leaving Camp Nou, which could be a cause for concern for the Blaugrana.

BARCELONA ATLÈTIC BOSS RAFA MÁRQUEZ RESPONDS TO XAVI’S SACKING

Barcelona Atlètic head coach Rafa Márquez has spoken publicly for the first time regarding the dismissal of first-team boss Xavi.

Tactician Xavi was of course informed of his sacking late last week.

Just weeks on from his continuation for next season being confirmed by the Barcelona brass, the 44-year-old was sent on his way, in nothing short of ruthless fashion.

The Mexican is known to be held in high regard by the powers that be at the Camp Nou, owing to his ongoing work with Barca Atlètic.

The lack of managerial options on the market, in turn, saw Márquez’s name pushed as a leading one in the media.

When drawn on whether or not the prospect of replacing Xavi was ever directly put to him during an exchange with the media (as cited by Mundo Deportivo) this week, however, the former defender assured:

“There were no (contacts to manage Barcelona). We have been working in the reserve team.”

Pressed further on whether he has spoken to his one-time Barcelona teammate since learning of his firing, Márquez continued:

“I will take time to talk to him and, as a friend, support him and be with him.”

Xavi tells Barcelona to pay up! Sacked coach warns club they must give full compensation to his staff after shock decision

Xavi Hernandez has reportedly told Barcelona to pay full compensation to his staff after he was told to leave in a shock decisio

The Spanish coach, who had been under contract with the Catalan club until June 30, 2025, is set to sever ties this Tuesday.

According to AS, Xavi is determined to leave amicably by choosing to forgo his remaining salary, which amounts to a hefty €12 million (£10m/$13m), in exchange for a guarantee that his staff will be fully compensated.

The coaching team that Xavi assembled at Barcelona consists of eight key individuals, each playing a vital role in the club’s operations. Seven members of this team, including assistants Oscar Hernandez and Sergio Alegre, physical trainer Ivan Torres, physiotherapist Carlos Nogueira, and scouts David Prats, Sergio Garcia and Toni Lobo have been with Xavi since his tenure at Al Sadd. The eighth member, communications manager Edu Polo, joined the team last summer and like the other members has a contract with the club until 2025.

Xavi has been clear that his agreement to relinquish his salary hinges on the full settlement of his staff’s contracts – which would likely cost the club approximately €3 million. He believes the amount should be acceptable to the club as it would not burn a hole in their pocket.

Xavi’s insistence to the board underscores his commitment to ensuring his staff’s financial security after the shock u-turn of Laporta and Co from their previous position just a month back. With Xavi’s departure imminent, Barcelona is poised to enter a new era under the guidance of German coach Hansi Flick. The club is expected to confirm Flick’s appointment for the next two seasons once Xavi’s exit is finalised.

Barcelona teenage defender set to sign new contract until 2029 today

Having secured the long-term contract renewal of Pau Cubarsi not very long ago, FC Barcelona are all set to tie down another young defender to a new deal.

Indeed, journalist Helena Condis reports that Barcelona teenage starlet Hector Fort will sign a new long-term contract until the summer of 2029 later today at the club offices.

Much like Lamine Yamal, Cubarsi, and Fermin Lopez, Fort too has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign this season, although he has not featured as regularly as his fellow La Masia products.

A right-back by trade, the 17-year-old defender has impressed in his natural position as well as a makeshift role at left-back.

A first-team berth is pretty much guaranteed for Fort for next season even though there will be new management at the helm of affairs.

And the teenager is now set to celebrate his breakthrough season by signing a long-term contract.

Fort will be turning 18 years old in August later this year and it could be possible that the new deal would come into force after that as regulations do not allow him to pen a contract longer than three years when still a minor.

Alternatively, Barça could be handing him a three-year contract with an option for an additional two seasons, which they might improve once he turns 18.

Much like Cubarsi, Fort is also likely to see a significant rise in his release clause amount as well as wages reflecting his new status within the team.

Along with Fort, Barcelona are also working to tie down several other young players to new deals with the likes of Marc Casado, Marc Bernal, and Marc Guiu all expected to pen improved contracts in the weeks to come.

THE 4 BARCELONA STARS XAVI ‘WANTED TO MOVE ON’ BEFORE SACKING

Dismissed Barcelona head coach Xavi had drawn up a four-man list of players to be shipped out in the summer, prior to his exit being confirmed.

That’s according to ESPN, who have on Monday provided an insight into developments behind the scenes in Catalunya’s capital.

Xavi, of course, was late last week sent on his way by the Barcelona brass.

Just weeks on from seeing his continuation for the 2024/25 campaign confirmed, the Spaniard was informed that his services would no longer be required beyond the summer.

As much no doubt marked a hammer blow for Xavi, who, if the latest word stemming from the media is anything to go by, had already begun putting in place plans for his squad for next season.

In fact, as per the aforementioned ESPN, the 44-year-old had decided upon four players whom he felt were surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou moving forward.

One should come as little surprise, in the form of the seldom-seen Vitor Roque, albeit with fellow frontman Robert Lewandowski’s inclusion on the shortlist an altogether more noteworthy one.

Finally, Xavi was ready to bid farewell to loan pair João Félix and João Cancelo, of the opinion that neither did enough to prove themselves worthy of staying put beyond the season’s close.

XAVI SIMONS’ BARCELONA TRANSFER PLAN CONFIRMED

An insight into the plans of Paris Saint-Germain star Xavi Simons to engineer a move for himself to La Liga giants Barcelona this summer has today been forthcoming.

The info comes courtesy of Mundo Deportivo, and reiterates that the Dutchman has only one thing on his mind – reuniting with the Blaugrana.

Now 21, and fresh off a stellar campaign on loan with RB Leipzig, though, the opportunity to reunite with his former employers has surfaced ahead of next season.

And, as per the aforementioned MD, this is one which the player does not intend to allow to pass him by…

Simons, it is assured, has given his full ‘priority’ to a move back to Barcelona.

Despite rival interest on the part of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle, the gifted attacker has informed the brass at PSG that he wants only one club – the Blaugrana.

Simons is therefore prepared to wait for Deco and co. to get the financial situation at the Camp Nou back in order, to link up with incoming boss Hansi Flick’s squad.

The youngster has gone as far as to ‘fight’ for as much, with Simons’ only request being that Barca do their utmost to push a deal over the line before the upcoming European Championships.

Barcelona €60 million-rated winger target on Bayern Munich’s radar

It appears that Barcelona and Bayern Munich could be at loggerheads over multiple players heading into the summer transfer window.

The Blaugrana are already trying to sign Joshua Kimmich from the Bavarian giants, while the Bundesliga club are looking at Ronald Araujo and Frenkie de Jong as possible options.

Furthermore, both clubs also appear to have shared interest in a number of targets.

Indeed, as has already been reported, Bayern Munich are set to rival Barça for Dani Olmo, while PSG sensation Xavi Simons is also a mutual target for both clubs.

Now, another name appears to have entered the list of players wanted by both Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Nico Williams a target for Bayern

Indeed, as per journalist Jonathan Ramos, Bayern Munich have entered the race for Barcelona target and Athletic Club winger Nico Williams heading into the summer.

In fact, the Bavarian giants plan on following the 21-year-old winger closely during the UEFA Euro 2024, which will be played in Germany, where the forward is expected to play a key role for Spain.

Williams, who renewed his contract with Athletic Club towards the end of 2023, has a release clause that is close to the €60 million mark.

Barcelona are not in a position to meet it and are thus considering selling a player, possibly Raphinha, to raise the required funds.

However, Bayern Munich have no such restrictions and find the €60 million clause acceptable for the winger.

But, Nico himself might not see a move to Germany in favourable light at this point in his career because of the distance, language, and competition.

It must be noted that Xavi had been one of the biggest advocates behind Barcelona’s interest in Nico. With him no longer in charge, whether new manager Hansi Flick would be willing to pursue the Spaniard with the same rigour remains to be seen.

Fermín López reveals why he celebrated Barcelona goal against Sevilla with Xavi

Fermín López scored the winning goal in Barcelona’s La Liga season finale against Sevilla, and his celebration was notable as the young midfielder found his departing manager on the sidelines and gave him a big hug, offering Xavi Hernández his own personal goodbye.

Fermín exploded onto the scene this season, going from a relatively unknown quantity in preseason to finishing the campaign as an undisputed starter, scoring several key goals and earning a spot in Spain’s squad for Euro 2024.

The 21-year-old was asked after the game why he celebrated his final goal of the season with his now former manager, and Fermín revelaed it was a gesture of gratitude for Xavi giving him a chance to fulfill his Barça dream this season.

Regardless of what you think of Xavi as a coach, his impact on Barça’s talented youngsters is undeniable. The coach gave dozens of academy graduates a real chance to play for the first team, and the likes of Fermín, Pau Cubarsí, Héctor Fort and Lamine Yamal look set for long careers at Camp Nou thanks in large part to the opportunity given to them by Xavi.

It remains to be seen if soon-to-be new manager Hansi Flick will be as willing to use the youngsters as Xavi was, but they’ve already proven they are good enough to play in a Barça shirt for any coach.