Xavi reveals why Messi never returned to Barcelona: “Laporta told me it would be war”

Xavi Hernández had a lot to say. The former Barcelona midfielder and coach had largely stayed quiet since leaving the club more than a year and a half ago, exiting discreetly after a turbulent final stretch in charge. Now, with club elections approaching, Xavi has decided to speak out.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, he detailed his version of events inside the club, publicly accusing president Joan Laporta and his brother-in-law, Alejandro Echevarría, of wielding enormous influence behind the scenes.

Among the most explosive claims was that Lionel Messi’s long-rumored return to Barcelona in 2023 was scrapped by Laporta himself.

Xavi: Messi comeback was already agreed

Xavi said he still speaks regularly with Messi.

“I talk with him. We have a good relationship,” he said. “We’ve talked about the elections, but those conversations are private. I’d rather not say more, although I imagine you know what he thinks.”

According to Xavi, Messi was close to returning to Barcelona in early 2023.

“Laporta isn’t telling the truth,” he said. “Messi was very close to coming back when I was the coach. It was basically done in January 2023.”

Xavi said he contacted Messi after the Argentine star won the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and began discussing a possible return to Camp Nou.

“We talked until March. I told him that once he gave me the OK, I’d speak to the president,” Xavi said. “LaLiga had given the green light.”

Then, he says, everything changed.

“Laporta backed out,” Xavi claimed. “He told me, word for word, that if Messi came back it would mean war for him and he couldn’t allow that.”

Xavi said he tried to reach Messi directly but couldn’t get him on the phone. Eventually he spoke with Messi’s father, Jorge.

“I told him I didn’t understand what was happening, and he told me, ‘Talk to the president.’ Everything was ready. It was going to be his ‘last dance,’ like Michael Jordan. The whole thing was prepared.”

“I will never return to Barcelona”

Xavi also made it clear he does not see himself returning to the club in any role.

“I will never go back to Barça,” he said. “My chapter there as a player and as a coach is finished.”

He again insisted that Messi’s failure to return was not about financial demands or LaLiga restrictions.

“Messi didn’t come back because Laporta didn’t want him,” Xavi said. “It’s not true that his father asked for more money or that LaLiga blocked it. Laporta holds all the power at the club, and he knew Messi would influence that power.”

Praise for Flick and Barcelona’s young core

Despite his criticisms, Xavi praised the current team under coach Hansi Flick.

“I like his team. They play dominant, attacking soccer,” he said. “As Barça fans, we enjoy watching them.”

Xavi said many of the current team’s key players were already central to his project.

“The backbone is Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López,” he said. “They’re players we believed in and built around.”

Flick apology and Xavi’s dismissal

Xavi also revealed that Flick visited his home to apologize after taking the Barcelona job.

Two weeks before his own dismissal, Xavi said he had asked the German coach directly whether rumors linking him with the job were true.

“He told me no,” Xavi said. “Later he came to my house to apologize. The club had asked him not to say anything.”

According to Xavi, the decision to replace him had already been made.

“They had decided to move on from me, but nobody said it to my face.”

Admitting mistakes as coach

Xavi acknowledged that his own staff made mistakes during his time in charge.

“Of course we did things wrong,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of self-criticism.”

He said his level of internal pressure dropped after his first season.

“In my first year I told the president that if we didn’t sign certain players I wouldn’t continue, because we couldn’t compete at the highest level,” he said. “The following year my demands dropped, and that’s something I regret.”

Recruitment disagreements behind the scenes

Xavi also pointed to disagreements over transfers.

He said he wanted to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi but was told the club couldn’t afford the deal.

He also criticized how the club treated former sporting director Jordi Cruyff and executive Mateu Alemany.

“Jordi Cruyff left because he felt disrespected,” Xavi said. “And then they let Alemany go. That’s when I should have left as well.”

Xavi accuses Laporta and Echevarría of betrayal

Xavi saved some of his harshest criticism for Laporta and Echevarría.

“In the end Laporta let me down,” he said. “He dismissed me without telling me the truth, influenced by Alejandro Echevarría, who has even more power than Laporta.”

“Echevarría was the one who got rid of me.”

According to Xavi, Echevarría holds enormous influence inside the club despite not having an official executive role.

“He practically runs the club,” Xavi said. “We had a close friendship, but in the end he completely betrayed me.”

Xavi said he met with Echevarría repeatedly early last year, believing he was the real decision-maker.

After Barcelona’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain, he says the tone changed.

“He called me to say the board wasn’t sure about my future,” Xavi said.

Claims of smear campaign inside the club

Xavi also accused club leadership of undermining him behind the scenes.

He claimed they told players including Sergi Roberto, Ronald Araújo, Pedri and Raphinha that Xavi wanted to sell them.

“That’s not true,” he said. “There was never a list of players I wanted to get rid of.”

Xavi said the club leadership falsely claimed he wanted to offload up to 10 players.

“That’s a lie,” he said. “We discussed making one sale, but I won’t reveal the name out of respect.”

Final message: “Barcelona needs change”

Despite the sharp criticism, Xavi insisted he was not motivated by bitterness.

“I’m not speaking out of resentment,” he said. “I just want people to know the truth.”

His conclusion was blunt.

“The club needs change from top to bottom,” Xavi said. “Barcelona isn’t functioning well. I lived it from the inside, and people deserve to know what really happened.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that of this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.