“Barcelona contacted me twice” - Xavi explains why he snubbed Catalan giants twice before accepting head coach role

Former Barcelona player and manager Xavi Hernandez recently revealed why he snubbed his former club twice before accepting their offer for the managerial role.

Xavi, who is a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy, returned to his childhood as a manager in 2021. He managed the Catalan outfit for two and a half years, helping the club to win the LaLiga title and the Spanish Super Cup in the 2022-23 season.

However, before Xavi returned to Barca as a manager, there were reports that he turned down offers from the Catalan giants to replace Ernesto Valverde, who was the club’s manager at the time.

In a recent interview with French Football, Xavi revealed that he rejected the offers to become Barcelona manager due to the fact that he wasn’t ready for the job. The former Spanish midfielder via (Barca Universal):

“Barcelona contacted me twice before Laporta contacted me but I didn’t feel ready yet. My first year and a half at Barcelona was very good. We had a project with Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff. It allowed us to finish the league in second place, then win the league and the Spanish Super Cup. But after that, the results declined.’’

Xavi was relieved of his duties as La Blaugrana manager in 2024 and was replaced with German tactician Hansi Flick. The latter has taken the club to the summit of the LaLiga table in the ongoing season.

''I don’t consider myself a better player than Lionel Messi or Cristian'' – Barcelona legend Xavi says he doesn’t regret not winning the Ballon d’Or

In the same interview, Xavi revealed he didn’t regret winning the Ballon d’Or. From 2009 to 2012, Barcelona was an absolute powerhouse in Europe. Xavi and his compatriots Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets formed a formidable trio in La Blaugrana’s midfield during that period.

Barca’s dominance in Europe started in 2009 when they won the treble. After a successful campaign, Xavi was nominated for the Ballon d’Or but finished behind his teammate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the rankings.

The midfielder made it to the top three of the Ballon d’Or rankings in 2010 and 2011 but finished third as Lionel Messi won the coveted award. When Xavi was asked if he regretted not winning the Ballon d’Or, he said:

“I don’t consider myself a better player than Lionel Messi or Cristiano, the Ballon d’Or winners of those years. I was a playmaker but I didn’t have the ability to win games on my own. I’m proud to have finished on the podium third three times, even if there’s no official award,”

Xavi was instrumental in Barca's successes during their dominance period in Europe. He won every trophy on offer during his playing days at the club.