"Well, what can I say? It's never good news" - Pep Guardiola reacts as Barcelona part ways with Xavi

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reacted to Barcelona's decision to part ways with their manager Xavi Hernandez at the end of the season. The City boss has admitted that it isn't good news and added that he doesn't know why it happened.

Xavi's future at Barcelona has been a subject of speculation for the last couple of months, with the manager earlier admitting that he'd like to step down at the end of the season. Shortly after that, there were talks that both parties chose to continue sticking together.

However, it looks like club president Joan Laporta had a second thought about it and ended up deciding to relieve the Spaniard of his duties. Barca announced the decision to part ways with Xavi in an official statement that was posted on their official website and social media handles.

“The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, announced this afternoon to Xavi Hernández that he will not continue as coach of the first team in the 2024-25 season,” the statement read.

"FC Barcelona would like to thank Xavi for his work as a coach, which adds to an unparalleled career as a player and captain of the team, and wishes him all the luck in the world," it added.

Shortly after the development, former Blaugrana boss Pep Guardiola was asked about Xavi's sacking. He said as quoted by Barca Universal on Twitter:

"Xavi's sacking? Well, what can I say? It's never good news... I don't know why it happened so I can't give my opinion. When I go to Barcelona and talk to some people there, maybe I will know, but now I don't know."

In the wake of that decision, Xavi will now oversee his final game as the club's manager when they take on Sevilla in La Liga action this weekend. Interestingly, that will also be the club's last game of the campaign. Hopefully, the players will be able to give their boss a fitting farewell with a thumping victory at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

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Highlighting Xavi's record as Barcelona manager

Xavi was appointed as Barcelona manager on November 21, after the club got rid of Ronald Koeman. His arrival injected a fresh energy into the group and they made a gradual bounce-back, notably beating Real Madrid 4-0 in the 2021-22 campaign.

Following a commendable backing in the transfer market, the tactician delivered great results in his first full season at the club, winning the Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup. However, his third term (current) at the club couldn't produce as much delight as the Blaugrana endured a trophyless outing and had to settle for a second-place finish in the league.

During his three-year stint at the club, the tactician oversaw 141 matches across all competitions, recording 89 victories, 23 draws, and 29 defeats to his name, averaging 2.06 points per game. His side bagged 277 goals and conceded 157 goals from those games.