MADRID: Barcelona sacked manager Xavi Hernandez on Friday, four weeks after confirming their former midfielder would honour the last year of his contract and lead them through next season.

The decision ended months of arguments between Barca and Xavi who made 767 appearances for the club over 17 seasons and helped them win 25 major trophies.

`Today Friday, FC Barcelona President Joan Laporta has informed Xavi Hernandez that he will not becontinuing as first team coach in the 2024-25 season, Barcelona said in a statement.

`Barcelona wish to thank Xavi for his work as coach, as well as for his inimitable career as a player and as team captain, and wishes him every future success in the world.

Barcelona will finish second in La Liga, at least nine points behind champions Real Madrid, and Xavi had announced in January that he would resign at the end of this season.

After discussions in April at Laporta`s home, however, Xavireversed his decision and agreed to stay on with a series of unspecified conditions set by the club.

Off the back of winning LaLiga last year in Xavi`s first full season in charge, he was not able to survive a stuttering season as bitter rivals Real Madrid closed in on a possible La Liga-Champions League double.

Barca were thrashed by Real in the Spanish Super Cup final in January, knocked out in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals by Athletic Bilbao and eliminated from theChampions League by Paris St Germain at the last-eight stage. Meanwhile, Real will face Borussia Dortmund in next week`s final at Wembley.

Xavi`s final game as manager will be Barca`s trip to Sevilla on Sunday, which will be La Liga`s last game of the season.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick is heavily tipped to replace Xavi.

Previously Flick steered Bayern to a treble in 2020, including an 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.The 44-year-old Xavi arrived at Barcelona on a three-year deal following the departure of Dutchman Ronald Koeman at the end of 2021.

As a player Xavi made 767 appearances for the Catalan club, behind only Lionel Messi, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues among other trophies.

Barca`s on-field struggles reflect the turmoil off the pitch at the club, including deepening financial problems and a refereeing scandal that could drag on for years.Spanish prosecutors in March 2023 filed a complaint over alleged payments by Barca from 2001 to 2018 totalling more than 7.3 million euros ($7.92 million) to firms owned by former refereeing official Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

A Barcelona court has agreedtotake onthe case.

Barca also face huge financialchallengesrelated to their massive wage bill and as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and a 1.6 billion-euro Camp Nou stadium renovation project.-Agencies