Deco has aimed a sly dig at former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez, saying that the club needed a coach who “believed in the project” this season.

Xavi endured a tumultuous final few months in charge of Barcelona at the tail end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Having announced in January his decision to stand down at the end of the season, Xavi changed his mind on his future at the club following an upturn in form late in the season. In a shock move, however, Barcelona decided to sack him regardless.

That decision was reportedly made after Xavi insisted that the club were not able to compete with the financial might of Real Madrid.

Hansi Flick was appointed as Xavi’s replacement over the summer and, despite initial worries about whether or not he was the right man for the job, the German has got Barca firing on all cylinders in the opening months of the 2024/25 season – winning eight of their first nine games in La Liga.

Speaking at the Ordinary General Assembly of FC Barcelona this week, sporting director Deco was keen to praise Flick while also having a dig at ex-manager Xavi.

“From the sporting direction, we’ve always believed that although we didn’t achieve titles last year, we had a strong foundation with our homegrown players,” said Deco.

“We had to make decisions regarding departures, and new signings, and evaluate what we had in the reserve team with courage.

“We needed a coach who believed in this idea and project, and that is helping us make this change because the coach is a fundamental part of this process. He gave us the green light to continue with the planned work in physical preparation and recovery, as it was something that needed improvement.”

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