BARCELONA have axed Xavi and appointed Hansi Flick as his replacement.
Xavi announced in January that he was going to quit at the end of the season before a shock move saw him change his mind.
RexXavi has been axed by Barcelona[/caption]
APHansi Flick has been unveiled as the Catalan giants’ new boss[/caption]
The 44-year-old was convinced to stay after a meeting with president Joan Laporta last month and he signed a new contract until 2025.
But in a now double U-turn, Xavi has been fired after the pair reportedly clashed as he bemoaned the club’s poor financial situation.
Barcelona confirmed his departure in a statement that read: “The club wishes to publicly thanks Xavi and the rest of his coaching staff for their commitment, dedication and generosity, and for their help in reaching an agreement to sever the contract.
“Furthermore, we wish him success in the future on both a personal and professional level.”
But just 20 minutes after Xavi’s exit was made public, the club unveiled Flick as their new manager.
The ex-Bayern Munich and Germany gaffer has signed a contract until 2026 at the Nou Camp.
Flick first made a name for himself at Hoffenheim in the early 2000s.
He then worked as assistant to legendary boss Joachim Low as the German national team won the 2014 World Cup.
He then landed the Bayern job and helped them win the Treble in 2020, getting the best out of now Barca striker Robert Lewandowski.
But a year later, Flick left Bavaria to become Germany manager – but he was sacked just 25 games into his reign.
A poor 2022 World Cup showing saw them crash out in the group stages and as poor form continued in the build-up to Euro 2024, he became the first man to ever to be sacked as boss by the German FA.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
