09/03/2026
Xavi: โLaporta told me, word for word, that if Leo returned he would declare war on him, and that he could not allow it. Then suddenly Leo stopped answering my calls because someone on the other end of the line had told him it was not possible. I told his father to call the president.โ
โMy interest is to tell the truth, and Leo did not return to Barรงa because the president did not want it, not because of La Liga or because Jorge Messi was asking for more money. That is a lie, it was the president and his entourage who said no to him.โ
โThe story told by the club is completely false, and I feel the need to explain myself. I feel it deep inside and I need to clarify it.โ
โI think now that I will never return to Barรงa. I have already completed my career there as a player and as a coach.โ
โMy relationship with Laporta was very good. In fact, I signed for Barรงa thanks to him, but in the end he let me down.โ
โLaporta dismissed me as coach without telling me the truth, influenced by someone I believe is above the president himself, Alejandro Echevarrรญa."
"In other words, the person who got rid of me as coach was Alejandro.โ
โMy relationship with Hansi Flick? Excellent. We constantly send each other messages. I always congratulate him on the team, we talk about footballโฆ In fact, he even came to my house once because of a difficult situation, and that is really admirable.โ
โHe came to apologize when I asked him if the club had actually been speaking with him while I was still the coach."
"That was during a period of two or three weeks when the club had already decided to let me go, but no one told me that directly."
"He apologized to me, and we talked for more than two hours, and the meeting was wonderful. The club asked him not to tell me anything, so he came to my house to apologize. He is a very good and noble person, and I am happy that he is achieving success.โ
