Every few days, an absolute howler seems to present itself in the football world. This time around, it was Barcelona president Joan Laporta and his fellow executives.
What's the story?
FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez's future at the club has suddenly become enveloped by uncertainty after he said something regarding the club's financial status at a press conference ahead of his side's 2-0 victory over Almeria on Thursday night.
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"The economic situation influences sports planning. And you all know this. The situation is complicated, especially on an economic level, to compete with the best. The current situation has nothing to do with that of years ago," he said, per COPE.
Now, his comments are believed to have infuriated the Spanish giants' hierarchy, who have reportedly urged Laporta to part ways with the tactician. Based on reports, it seems as though he has listened to their bitter cries as it is believed that Xavi's sacking could officially be announced after their final LALIGA clash against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
The club's reported decision seems to be an immature one for two reasons: The rapid time in which the decision was made, and the reason itself.
Firstly, in defence of Xavi, he did not reveal any information that one would think was intended to have been kept secret. The only thing he did was give his thoughts on the club's financial situation, and how it hinders their ability to bring in new players and compete with other top clubs in Europe.
The Blaugrana's financial issues are well-documented. The Athletic reports that the club is battling debts of over £859 million (around R19 billion), while also having to fork out a whopping £1.8 billion (R41 billion) to redevelop the Camp Nou. It is also believed the club has a £111 million (R2.6 billion) hole in their accounts, which means, according to LALIGA regulations, they are unable to bring in any new players if that is not covered by the end of June.
If that sort of information is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, why should it cost Xavi his job for trying to broadly explain the situation in order to reach some understanding with Barca fans who perhaps have high expectations of their club? They may have been thinking about their dream signings but with the Spaniard saying what he said, their expectations are curbed and there will be less outrage if the club is unable to make any new signings to bolster the squad for next season.
What he has done could, in fact, be considered to be a good example of damage control.
What has happened to smoothing things over in a face-to-face conversation? The club seemingly wants to give him the axe instead of calling him in for a meeting and telling him that they were uncomfortable by what he stated, and requesting that he steer clear of that topic during his press conferences. From the exterior view, it does not seem like rocket science.
It seems as though they are so swift to part ways with a manager who could have been, and has been, reliable during tumultuous times. Yes, he did announce that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season in January, but he did decide to back-track on that decision, at the club's behest. He stated at the time that he felt he had support from the president, which makes what is currently transpiring seem like such a betrayal of the 44-year-old's trust. This is also a person who led them to a league triumph just last season and, after that, has had to watch their closest rivals Real Madrid make blockbuster signings while he was limited. He has also secured a second-place finish in the league this season too.
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For Laporta and his executive crew to want to part ways with him after one incident that is perhaps not as serious as they have made it out to be is absurd, a howler of a lifetime.
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