Barcelona made headlines again for firing Xavi just weeks after making the decision to convince the club legend to stay as their manager, even though he had already agreed to step down at the end of the season during the middle of the campaign.
What led to Barcelona having a change of heart and raising critical eyebrows across the footballing world by pushing another club legend out the door?
The answer may have to do with a backup player whom Xavi wasn’t getting games and whom Barcelona likely very much wanted to see on the pitch frequently.
This past winter, Barcelona signed one of the most highly rated young players in Brazil, forward Vitor Roque, for a price of about 31 million euros plus bonuses.
The 19-year-old joined Barcelona ahead of interest from other top European clubs, making him their biggest prospect signing in years, as Barca have struggled to keep up with rivals Real Madrid in that department.
Barcelona envisioned Vitor Roque as a key part of the rotation at striker in his first half-season, yet even at the end of the campaign with LaLiga already lost, the new signing was struggling to get minutes.
In total, Roque played just 304 LaLiga minutes and earned a meager two starts for the Blaugrana, which is clearly not what Barcelona had in mind for the young player when they purchased him for 31 million euros.
Vitor Roque’s agent threatened to request a permanent transfer from Barcelona – not even a loan – at the end of the season when it was obvious that Xavi wasn’t going to play him, even with nothing left for the club to play for.
Not long after, the rumors of Xavi leaving the club popped up again, and, then, Barcelona took the ultimate step of firing the legendary midfielder.
It may seem dramatic to suggest that Barcelona fired Xavi over Vitor Roque, but it may have been the last straw and a serious overarching concern about Xavi’s willingness to back the board’s investments and see the importance of trusting young signings outside the academy.
Barcelona want to be a bigger global power and don’t want to lose out on top prospects like Lucas Bergvall to Tottenham. By treating Vitor Roque in this way and watching him request a transfer after just a half-season, the club risked sending a bad message to future prospective signings.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.
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