Xavi: Why Barcelona Manager Changed His Mind About Coaching La Liga Giants Next Season

• Xavi Hernandez will remain in charge as Barcelona's manager next season
• He previously announced he will leave the club at the end of this campaign
• Xavi reportedly met with Barcelona officials to explain this change of mind

Xavi Hernandez will remain Barcelona's manager next season despite announcing in January that he intended to quit at the end of the current season.

He led Barca to the La Liga title in his first full season, displacing Real Madrid, who had previously won the league and UEFA Champions League double.

His second season will be trophyless, having lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Madrid, being eliminated from the Champions League, and sitting 11 points behind in the title race.

Several names were linked to Barcelona to replace Xavi after his announcement in January, including former Bayern Munich boss, Hansi Flick, who was reportedly keen on the job.

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Per Mundo Deportivo, however, the club ended its interest in the German coach last week, citing his lack of knowledge of Barcelona, Spain's ecosystem, and the Spanish language.

Why Xavi stayed at Barcelona

Several reports in the Spanish media yesterday confirmed that the former captain has changed his mind and will remain at the helm of the club's affairs next season.

Per Diario AS, Xavi's decision was fuelled by Barca's elimination from the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain, which he believes was unfair and made him more determined.

The 44-year-old had hoped he would leave the team to the UCL final at the Wembley Stadium, a pitch he won the 2011 final against Manchester United as a player.

The club's president, Joan Laporta, is expected to give an official confirmation in a press conference today, and changes are also expected among Xavi's backroom staff.

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Arteta denies Barcelona links

Sports Brief previously reported on Mikel Arteta denying Barcelona links after a report emerged in January that he had informed his team of the desire to leave Arsenal.

A product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia, the Spanish manager was one of the names linked to the Catalonia club just three days after Xavi announced he would leave.