SETTABLOID

MADRID (AP) — Xavi Hernández ended his stint as Barcelona coach with a 2-1 win at Sevilla in the final round of the Spanish league on Sunday.

Robert Lewandowski and Fermin López scored for Barcelona, which announced Friday it was parting ways with the former midfielder with a year left on his contract.

“We didn’t want this to end, but these are decisions made by the club,” Xavi said. “We didn’t win titles but we were on the right track. But soccer is like this, the directors will make their decisions. The response by the players was wonderful.”

Barcelona players bid farewell to Xavi after the match.

“We will always wish Xavi the best,” goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen said. “He’s been a friend for many years and it’s not easy to let him go … He deserves the best.”

Barcelona had already clinched second place and a spot in the lucrative Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia next season. It finished with four consecutive victories.

FC Barcelona manage to get a win in their final game of the season. La Blaugrana did not have anything at stake in this game in terms of La Liga standings, but they did have something else at stake. With Xavi Hernandez now having coached his final game for Barcelona, the team managed to give him a 2-1 victory to remember.

Here are the player ratings for Xavi’s Barcelona.

Player Ratings:

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen: 7.5

Barça’s first choice goalkeeper led Xavi’s team for the last time as Barcelona captain. His saves were reliable throughout the course of the game, but his ball-playing truly stood out in order to help Barcelona out against Sevilla.

The Portuguese fullback was quite the offensive threat, and made some great movements both on and off the ball. His defensive work was commendable tonight, and he also provided a stunning assist to Robert Lewandowski for his opener.

Inigo Martinez: 7.0

Despite his experience, Inigo Martinez ultimately faltered rather clumsily when Sevilla opened their scoring. However, apart from that one moment of frustration, the veteran Spaniard had a solid outing and was reliable both in terms of playing out from the back and defending as well.

Pau Cubarsi: 7.0

The youngster was just as important as Inigo Martinez in helping Barcelona keep Sevilla at bay. Still just a teenager, yet Pau Cubarsi’s maturity on a football field is still as commendable as ever.

One of the more dull performances from Jules Kounde this season, the Frenchman was hardly at the level that he usually is at. Mistakes both in attack and defense from him could have been much costlier for Barcelona by the end of the final whistle.

Andreas Christensen: 6.5

The Danish defender was once again key for Barcelona in the heart of the midfield. His performances as a pivot continue to impress, and it was only through his presence that the Catalans managed to maintain their structure as well as they did.

Ilkay Gundogan: 6.5

While the German midfielder may not have had his most prolific outing as a Barcelona player, he was still a reliable asset in midfield. From his passing to his retention in possession, Ilkay Gundogan was there to give Barça that extra bit of control.

Pedri was once again sensational with almost every touch he took. Even the first goal that Barcelona scored came through Pedri’s genius touch that allowed Joao Cancelo to get a lot of space. Beyond just the goal, the young Barcelona star was integral for the team both in chance creation and also defensively.

Fermin Lopez: 9.0

Brilliant work from the start of the game until his substitution, Fermin Lopez had quite the extraordinary outing. His passes, runs, and offensive attempts were all quite dangerous for Sevilla to deal with, and he ultimately got his goal with a brilliant strike from outside the box.

A solid outing for Robert Lewandowski, who was once again the Barcelona star who opened the scoring for his team. The Polish striker continues to score, and while he may not have won the Pichichi this time around, he possible gives some level of excitement to incoming manager Hansi Flick with his recent scoring form.

Lamine Yamal: 7.5

Creating chances out of nothing, taking on multiple Sevilla defenders at the same time, Lamine Yamal was quite the watch for as long as he was on the field. While he may not have gotten a goal or assist as he would have hoped for, Yamal was a headache for Sevilla to deal with.

Oriol Romeu: 6.0

Did not have much of an impact in proceedings, but looked quite fresh and helped out the team in the second half as he looked to disarm any potential Sevilla attacks.

Ferran Torres: 5.5

Playing from the right wing, Ferran Torres was hardly effective. Despite creating a few good openings for his teammates, not the most convincing of performances.

Joao Felix: 5.0

Tried a few acrobatic attempts while he looked to work his magic whenever he could. Could not do too much, however.

Vitor Roque: N/A

Not enough influence or time in the game to warrant a rating.

Hector Fort: N/A

Not enough influence or time in the game to warrant a rating.

Barcelona took all three points from their final La Liga game of the season after securing a 2-1 win over Sevilla.

The fixture marked Xavi’s final game in charge of La Blaugrana after it was announced that the Spanish boss would part ways with the Catalan giants.

Barca had already guaranteed themselves a second place finish, but aimed to send departing manager Xavi off with a victory.

How the game unfolded

Barca wasted no time on the attack, as Pedri stole the ball just outside the box before driving up the left to pick out Lamine Yamal. The teenager attempted a shot on target, but it landed in front of Kike Salas, who made a crucial block.

A goal came for Xavi’s side just 10 minutes later, as Joao Cancelo tapped a perfect cross into the back post, where Robert Lewandowski was able to finish the strike and put the Catalan giants ahead.

Sevilla were quick to equalise, with Youssef En-Nesyri receiving the ball to force a clinical finish into the back of the net, beating Marc-Andre ter Stegen at the near post.

When play resumed in the second-half Barcelona looked to chase their chance to lead once again, pressing the Sevilla side and applying pressure up the pitch.

Fermin Lopez, who looked as if he’d been searching for a goal, found the back of the net after receiving a pass from Ilkay Gundogan. His powerful strike flew into the bottom corner and firmly places Barca back into the lead.

Barca continued to look dominant on the ball, claiming the most possession as Sevilla only looked to gain advantage on the counter-attack.

The visitors showed enough effort to secure a win over the hosts, and travel home having earnt a second place finish in the league.

The scoreline would also have impressed departing manager Xavi, who will hang up his hat with a final victory in La Liga.

Barcelona player ratings (4-3-3)

RB: Jules Kounde – 5/10 – Tried to find his rhythm as a fullback and played a very high line. Did make a few mistakes, mainly when trying to keep the ball.

CB: Pau Cubarsi – 6/10 – Improvements can be made in his game, but for such a young player Cubarsi offers so much for the Barca side. His defence was admirable against Sevilla’s attack, and in some cases better than his teammates.

CB: Inigo Martinez – 5/10 – Made a few costly mistakes, especially when trying to stop En-Nesyri from scoring early on. Struggled to break down Sevilla’s attack.

The last game of the Spanish league season kicked off tonight at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan as Sevilla hosted Barcelona. It was also Xavi’s last game coaching Barcelona, and the emotions were running high even before kick off.

Barcelona started the game on the front-foot, and scored through Robert Lewandowski in the 15th minute after an excellent move with Pedri and Joao Cancelo combining.

Youssef En-Nesyri equalised 15 minute later, though, after which defending almost became optional for both teams.

Barcelona took the game by the scruff of its neck in the second half, though, with Fermin Lopez coming up clutch with a superb goal from outside the box into the bottom left corner.

The two goals were enough for Barcelona to sail through to the three points as Xavi got a win on his farewell.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen: 6

Made an excellent save off Lukebakio’s effort, but had no business conceding Youssef En-Nesyri’s goal between his legs. Should have done better.

An insight into a disagreement behind the scenes at La Liga giants Barcelona regarding the futures of two members of the club’s attacking ranks has this weekend been provided.

The info comes courtesy of ESport3, and points towards the difference of opinion as being between Deco, and Joan Laporta.

Barcelona are poised to officiate Hansi Flick as their new manager on Monday, which could serve as the start of the club’s preparation for the season ahead.

Barcelona will have to take several key decisions as they look to not only reinforce the squad but also reduce the salary mass.

Given the economic constraints, however, Barça may once again have to rely heavily on their youth players and to that end, the future of Marc Casado has come into focus.

Barcelona ready to bet on Casado

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have decided to bet on Marc Casado for the season ahead.

It appears the youngster, whose contract expires on June 30, may become a part of the first team next season, serving as a potential alternative in the defensive midfield slot.

The versatile 20-year-old midfielder has impressed with his performances for Barça Atletic, leading the team to the promotion playoffs for the Second Division.

Casado has also showcased his tactical adaptability, featuring primarily as a right-back for Barça Atlètic under manager Rafa Marquez. However, his natural position is midfield, a position where Barcelona desperately needs reinforcements.

Frenkie de Jong’s future remains uncertain, with transfer rumours swirling. Additionally, Oriol Romeu is expected to leave the club, leaving a significant void in the defensive midfield role.

Casadó, with his versatility and technical qualities, appears perfectly suited to fill this gap.

While his current contract expires on June 30, Barcelona hold a unilateral option to extend it until 2025. Negotiations for this extension are already underway.

However, Barcelona’s trust in Casado does not necessarily mean the club will not sign any midfield reinforcements in the summer. The club, in fact, are still considering the addition of experienced midfielders like Guido Rodriguez.

Betting on the youth of the club is something FC Barcelona has always been renowned for. Even when they were at the absolute top of the footballing world, Barça’s youngsters were a prominent feature of the team. Now, however, even the desperate situation of Barcelona pushes them to count on them.

Yet, a very pivotal position still remains a constant headache for Barcelona to overcome. The signing of a new elite pivot is a must, but Barça believe one of their own has at least earned the right to be considered a suitable candidate for the position itself.

However, his contractual situation has caused some worry in recent times. His current deal expires in June of this year, but Barcelona are already looking to offer him a better deal that would apply bonuses and improvements as per his performances this season and the value that he will add to the team in upcoming years.

It remains to be seen how Hansi Flick will view the youngster, however, as the new Barcelona coach may have plans of his own.

Xavi Hernandez will manage FC Barcelona for the last time against Sevilla on Sunday, as the Catalans close out an underwhelming season at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuán Stadium which resulted in them ceding the La Liga title and its Spanish Super Cup crown to bitter rivals Real Madrid.

The club legend agreed to see out his contract which expired on June 30, but was dismissed before the weekend for what was thought to have been making the board angry about negative comments he made on how Barca’s bleak economic outlook affects being able to compete with their bitter rivals.

In his pre-match press conference, Xavi was made to answer questions on if the club of his life mistreats its legends, what President Joan Laporta said to him in a meeting that concluded with being fired, and his plans for the future.

This aside, there is still a game of football to be played after and Xavi wanted to look on the bright side of life.

“It’s been a spectacular experience, a tremendous learning experience. I’m satisfied and grateful to the club, and now we hope to finish in the best possible way and play well against Sevilla. It’s been an honour and a pleasure,” he said.

“I was still motivated and excited, I believed in this squad and in being able to do interesting things by changing some things. But it was not to be. I had never imagined a goodbye like this, but it can happen, I’m a professional, I’m a coach,” Xavi also added.

Though as touched on Barca will finish the season trophyless, Xavi at least helped to nail down second place last week with a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano at the Montjuic Stadium which means that qualification to the Super Cup at the turn of 2025 is already secure.

For his last match then, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be supported by a backline of Joao Cancelo, Inigo Martinez, Pau Cubarsi and Jules Kounde from left to right.

This means that there is no place for Ronald Araujo, and the same logic applies to Pedri in midfield.

Xavi goes for captain Sergi Roberto as his pivot, behind Fermin Lopez and Ilkay Gundogan.

Up top, Raphinha is the left winger and Lamine Yamal the right one on the other side of striker Robert Lewandowski.

FC Barcelona Starting XI Vs. Sevilla: Ter Stegen; Cancelo, Inigo, Cubarsi, Kounde; Roberto, Gundogan, Fermin; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Lamine

Catalunya Radio has reported some disagreements within Barcelona management regarding next season’s squad planning, especially following Xavi’s dismissal.

While Xavi was still the manager, he and the club’s sporting director, Deco, created a list of players they intended to let go over the summer.

This list included notable names such as Robert Lewandowski, Joao Felix, Oriol Romeu, Marcos Alonso, and Vitor Roque.

However, club president Joan Laporta had a different vision. He disagreed with Xavi’s plans, particularly about Lewandowski and Felix.

Laporta believed that both players should continue to play important roles in the team, even after the anticipated arrival of the new manager, Hansi Flick.

Xavi’s disagreements with his players

Barcelona’s final game of the season also marks the end of Xavi’s time as head coach, with Hansi Flick set to take over.

This game against Sevilla is the closing chapter of a season filled with ups and downs for the Catalan giants.

Now, the club’s management must focus on the future and navigate through various challenges, including financial constraints and potential player departures.

In that regard, Barcelona face significant financial difficulties, forcing the club to consider selling some key players despite their reluctance to do so, and with the season drawing to a close, let’s look at five players who might be playing their last game for Barcelona.

Joao Felix

It is no secret that Joao Felix’s future at Barcelona is uncertain. The Atletico Madrid loanee started strong but lost his place as the season progressed under Xavi.

It is to be noted that Barcelona are interested in integrating Nico Williams from Athletic Club into the squad, which could push Felix further down the pecking order.