Even though Xavi declared in January that he intended to step down at the end of the Barcelona season, he will still be the team’s coach.

The 44-year-old, who had agreed to a contract extension through 2025 last October, reportedly had a drastic change of heart during a day of discussions with Deco, the sports director, and club president Joan Laporta.

Xavi’s choice was made just one week after Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Barcelona from the Champions League in the quarterfinals.

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Following a 3-2 Clasico loss to their fierce rivals, Real Madrid, the reigning champions, dropped 11 points behind them in the La Liga title race on Sunday.

Xavi, the former midfielder for Barcelona, remarked that he felt “liberated” after deciding to step down.

He had declared the position to be his “dream” job on multiple occasions, but he later acknowledged that the pressure of the position became too great.

“You are made to feel every day that you are not good enough,” he said after a shock 5-3 home loss to Villarreal.

“It happened to all the coaches: Pep (Guardiola) told me, it happened to (Ernesto) Valverde, I saw Luis Enrique suffer.”

After Xavi was named manager of Barcelona in November 2021, the team, who had been struggling financially, was able to turn things around and win the league title the previous season.

However, they were eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao and defeated 4-1 by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup this season.

“The announcement liberated me on a personal level,” he said in January.

“From June 30 I will not continue as Barca coach … as a Barca fan, I think the club needs a change of dynamic.”