Barcelona has surprisingly terminated the contract of coach Xavi Hernandez, just weeks after he and club president Joan Laporta agreed he would remain in the post for the 2024-25 season. Xavi will take charge of the team's final La Liga match on Sunday at Sevilla before departing.

The decision comes after a trophyless season, and despite Xavi's initial intention to leave in January, he had agreed to stay on after a strong run of form in April.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick is heavily tipped to replace Xavi, who had been in charge since November 2021. Xavi's departure marks a sudden change in fortunes, as he had been hailed as a reference for young players and had the unanimous support of the board just last month.

Barcelona's statement thanked Xavi for his work as coach, acknowledging his unmatchable career as a player and captain of the first team, and wished him all the best in the future. The club will reveal the new coaching structure for the first team staff in the coming days.

Xavi's tenure saw Barcelona win La Liga last season, but they failed to defend the title this season and were knocked out of the Champions League and Copa del Rey. Despite his initial enthusiasm to coach Barcelona, Xavi had described the job as "cruel" and taking a toll on him mentally.