FC Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has revealed that the club’s president Josep Maria Bartemeu wanted the player to stay so much that he came to his home to persuade him.
Xavi has signed with Qatar side Al Sadd after captaining FC Barcelona to a second treble in six years. The midfield maestro says that he owed it to FC Barcelona fans that he departed for Qatar on a high.
a Imagine last year, leaving without titles, no euphoriaa a he said in an interview to FC Barcelona Magazine.
a Not to take anything away from our football, but we know that when Barca dona t win, we have to get rid of 10 players, everyone is angry a imagine having to make a farewell with the people upset.a
a Now people are euphoric, happy, content, it just so happened that we won the League a week early so I could do the tribute at home.
Close to leaving the club last season
Xavi was close to leaving FC Barcelona last summer, and the legendary playmaker says that he is glad he was convinced by the management at FC Barcelona to stay on for another season.
a The truth is that it is a custom-made script and Ia m very glad I stayed one more year.a
a [Andoni] Zubizarreta, Luis [Enrique] and President [Josep Maria] Bartomeu convinced me, because I knew I had to leave at some point and I am very stubborn, but they convinced me in two or three meetings, so now I am very happy.a
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Bartomeu came to his home to again convince him to stay
“Josep Maria Bartomeu came to my house to convince me into staying at the club,” he told RAC1.
“He’d already convinced me with Andoni Zubizarreta and Luis Enrique a year ago.”
“This time around, he offered me a renewal until 2018, which was very interesting for me, but it was time to go.”
Xavi’s glittering career at FC Barcelona has indeed finished after lifting 25 trophies including seven league titles and four Champions Leagues.