Xavi Hernández returns home

In the absence of an official confirmation that it had not arrived this morning, Xavi will be Barça coach until June 2024. The day, like all Xavi’s hiring, was a slide of emotions with surreal overtones. Around 1:45 p.m., two less in Barcelona, ​​Al Sadd announced in a statement that Terrassa’s coach was leaving: “The management has agreed to transfer Xavi to Barcelona after payment of the termination clause stipulated in the contract. We have agreed to cooperate with Barcelona in the future. Xavi is an important part of Al-Sadd’s story and we wish him every success. Xavi informed us a few days ago of his desire to go to Barcelona at this specific moment, due to the critical stage the club in his city is going through; and we understand it and decide not to get in their way. Xavi and his family will be welcomed in Doha and our relationship will continue. “

After the official note from Al Sadd, the official confirmation of the Barça was expected immediately. But this one did not come. The Barça club, through its envoys in Doha, Rafael Yuste and Mateu Alemany, slipped that it was not satisfied with paying the clause and that the agreement was frozen.

A few minutes later, the intermediate solution was started. Xavi and Barça would half pay for the termination, on the amount of which there has not been any official confirmation either. Sources close to Xavi said it was five million, but in Qatar it was assured for days that it was double, ten million. There has been no transparent communication in this regard.

To all this, Xavi organized a farewell lunch with his players and members of the Al Sadd board. The Qatari club served images in which Xavi was especially moved. One of the most special photos, the one taken with Santi Cazorla, two Euro Cup champion with Xavi in ​​the Spanish National Team. In the evening, Al Sadd gave him a video of more than three minutes of farewell.

Meanwhile, Joan Laporta watched the events from a distance. The president of Barça, who had decided days before not to travel to Qatar, was with the Galician supporters clubs. From there he received information from the club’s special envoys. Before 7:00 p.m., Spanish time, it was again taken for granted that the agreement was closed and that the statement was imminent. Even Barça had sent personnel from the communication department to record the first videos of Xavi as a culé. Even Víctor Font, a former candidate for the Barça presidency who considered Xavi the basis of his project, announced his arrival before the club: “Bentornat, nano; no one better than you to lead the Barça of the future.”

The final hug, however, was long overdue. The Barcelona lawyers together with Xavi’s agent, Fernando Solanas, finished outlining the document that will join him to Barcelona until June 30, 2024.. In his meeting with the clubs, Laporta already admitted that the signing was done: “Xavi’s contract is about to close and he will be Barça’s new coach”.

Xavi will travel today with his entire family and the seven assistants of his staff, who will join the Blaugrana discipline. He will land at the edge of 1:00 p.m. and he hopes to be able to watch the match against Celta in Vigo from home. In principle, everything indicates that on Monday he will be presented as Barcelona’s new coach in an event that is expected to be crowded at all levels, with the presence of several former teammates of the current squad and illustrious people from all over Barcelona. Barcelona therefore begins a new era with one of its great legends in command of operations. It’s Xavi’s time.