‘Announced his departure too soon’ – Arsenal legend on Xavi’s situation at Barcelona | OneFootball

After two and a half years at Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez’s time at Camp Nou appears to be coming to an end.

The recent defeats to Manchester City and Real Madrid have effectively left Barcelona in a precarious position and the Catalans are on the verge of enduring a trophyless campaign.

With not much financial support expected in the coming summer, Xavi is unlikely to reverse his decision to leave the club at the end of the season.

Arsene Wenger praises Xavi

As scrutiny over Xavi’s future at Barcelona continues, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on the Spaniard.

Wenger also disagreed with Xavi’s decision to leave the club, stating that he could have gone on to achieve bigger things in the future.

“I think Xavi has done a very good job at Barcelona. In my opinion, he announced his departure too soon,” Wenger said (h/t SPORT).

“When you think about the age of their players, they can only get stronger; that’s why I think I would have liked Xavi to stay,” he added.

Has Xavi done enough at Barça? (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

Xavi announced his desire to leave Barcelona at the end of the season earlier in the year. He even criticised the club for not valuing his position and contributions to the team.

Curiously, Barcelona began a sublime streak shortly after his announcement and were undefeated for a large period. They were also the best-performing team in La Liga during this period.

However, their tremendous form came to an end when they slumped to a defeat to PSG in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. That was followed by a defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico over the weekend.

“They were not lucky against PSG nor against Real Madrid, but they showed that they were growing again, that the team was growing together,” Wenger noted.

Barcelona were indeed unlucky in both defeats, with their game against Real Madrid, in particular, witnessing several controversial decisions from both the referee and the VAR.

Shortly after the game, Barcelona president Joan Laporta called out VAR and asked for images and footage of a goal that was scored by Lamine Yamal but was disallowed by VAR. Laporta even promised to secure a replay of El Clasico.

As for Xavi, Barcelona fans are still unsure whether or not the Spaniard will continue at Camp Nou. Everything suggests he will be moving on, though the coach may consider staying if Barça can promise strong financial backing this summer.