"I'm wishing you all the best for your future!" - Ilkay Gundogan sends heartfelt message to departing Barcelona manager Xavi

Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has penned a heartfelt message to manager Xavi as he prepares to leave the club following his sacking today. The legend will leave the Spanish club after he was dismissed from his position following a reported disagreement with the management.

Gundogan has spent just under one season in Spain, having joined on the back of a treble-winning campaign with Manchester City last summer. The experienced midfielder has been an important player for La Blaugrana, playing a central role for the side.

Xavi played a pivotal role in convincing the German captain to dump Manchester for Barcelona despite receiving a contract offer from the English champions. Recognizing this fact, the 32-year-old midfielder has paid tribute to the manager via his X account following his sacking.

"Gràcies, Xavi! 💙❤ Very grateful for having worked together this season - thank you for bringing me to @FCBarcelona last summer! I'm wishing you all the best for your future! #legendofthegame ⚽👑"

Club president Joan Laporta and the remainder of the club's board decided to relieve the Spanish manager of his duties today (Friday), ending a surprising sequence of events. The club went from convincing the former midfielder to remain in charge after his resignation in January to sacking him over a disagreement.

Xavi will leave the club after their final league match against Sevilla, ending his two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of his boyhood club. He won the La Liga title in 2022-23 but currently sits 12 points behind rivals Real Madrid with one game left to play.

Ilkay Gundogan put on several sterling performances this season, earning a place in the La Liga Team of the Season. The 32-year-old scored five goals and provided eight assists in 35 league matches for the side.

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Barcelona set to hire German manager as Xavi's replacement

Barcelona are closing in on the appointment of German manager Hansi Flick as their next permanent manager following the sacking of Xavi. The former Bayern Munich manager will take over as the club's manager on a two-year deal until 2026.

The Spanish giants will have the former Germany manager at the helm of their affairs from the 2024-25 season, and he will bring along two assistants. A treble winner with Bayern Munich, Flick has positioned himself for the job in recent months and will now be appointed.

Barcelona will be the first job for Flick outside of Germany, having previously managed Hoffenheim, Bayern Munich, and the national team. He will hope to have a better time in charge of the side than he did with Die Mannschaft.