Even judged by the surreal methodology by which FC Barcelona has operated over the past decade the firing of Xavi was bizarre.

In January, the legendary manager turned coach revealed he was leaving at the end of the season following a rotten run of results.

“I think the club needs a change of dynamic,” Xavi said at the time, “for the good of the players, I believe that they will free themselves. We play with a lot of tension.

It appeared that his announcement did precisely that because almost as soon as he’d told the world of his desire to be rid of the position where he felt he was “not valued” and “mistreated” results improved.
The upturn so impressed the club’s leadership that by April Xavi was hugging President Joan Laporta at a press conference announcing a reversal of the decision.

“We know that he made some statements in the middle of the season, but today we have the good news that he is staying and he has conveyed to me the enthusiasm and confidence he has in the project,” Laporta gushed at the time.

It was a strange turn of events given that FC Barcelona still trailed Real Madrid by 11 points and had been dumped from the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

The love-in lasted barely a month, as the Catalan giants continued to limp to the finish line the hierarchy decided they didn’t want Xavi in charge anymore.
However, the words of the outgoing coach were rather formal and cryptic when asked about his axing.

“I spoke with the president and he transmitted to me his reasons for considering the need for a change,” said Xavi.

“All I can do is accept it and respect it. He’s the one who makes the decisions at the club. We shook hands, hugged and wished each other the best. I will be another fan in the stands now.

“The decision was made thinking of the club’s [best interests]
because they believe a change of direction is needed.
“I have remained motivated, hungry and ambitious until now. I believe in the squad, that we could do big things with small changes, but it was not to be.”

Although he was prone to the odd touchline hysterics and famously told the media “Who’s the fool now?” After Barcelona defeated Napoli in the Champions League Round of 16, one of Xavi’s problems was he never seemed to be able to master the intense pressure of the role.

The constant noise around the club, known as ‘entorno’, has taken its toll on characters far sturdier and more experienced than Xavi, like Louis Van Gaal or Pep Guardiola.

So it is incredibly strange that FC Barcelona would identify a man who is almost the antithesis of the tough-edged coach to replace him: Hansi Flick.