Barcelona

Since the turn of the year, the managerial situation at Camp Nou has swung one way and then another, the end result being Xavi's sacking.

The club legend had initially said in January that he would be resigning from his position, citing the pressures that come with such a high-profile job.

Three months later, after an upturn in form, the Barcelona hierarchy was able to convince the former midfielder to remain at the helm.

However, Xavi made comments earlier this month that downplayed Barcelona's chances of rivalling Real Madrid for the La Liga title next season, words which led to president Joan Laporta moving to remove him from the lead role in the dugout.

Sunday's 2-1 victory away at Sevilla meant that Barcelona concluded the season with four successive wins, the Catalan giants accumulating an impressive 85 points from their 38 games.

Nevertheless, they still finished 10 points adrift of a relentless Los Blancos outfit, who would suffer just one defeat all season.

What has Xavi had to say?

Xavi's most recent comments came on the back of the win at the weekend, reiterating that his replacement should not expect to quickly instigate a period of change.

That is a consequence of the club's well-documented financial situation, with Barcelona needing to make cutbacks and sales in order to fund any noteworthy additions during the next transfer window.

He said: "To the new manager, I tell you: 'You will suffer'. This is a very complicated place to be. This is a difficult job and you have to be patient."

"I think that our work has not been appreciated enough. I took over when the team was in ninth place, finished the season in second place, and won the league the next season."

A total of 89 wins, 24 draws and 29 defeats have been recorded by Xavi since his appointment in November 2021, winning one La Liga title and one Supercopa de Espana.

What next for Xavi?

When speaking to the press on Sunday, Xavi admitted that he now needed to "rest a little bit" before joining into another job.

There had been speculation that he could be considered by Chelsea, but it appears that the Blues hierarchy have already decided on their replacement for Mauricio Pochettino.