Xavi Hernandez, the head coach of Barcelona, stated that he will leave at the end of the season if his team is not competitive enough.
The Spanish team bid farewell to the Copa del Rey yesterday after a 4-2 loss to Athletic Bilbao, with goals from the Williams brothers, Nico and Inaki, in injury time dealing a severe blow to Barcelona's aspirations for silverware this season.
Amid increasing pressure on his future at the club, Xavi admitted that if there is no improvement in the team's fortunes, he will step down as the coach at the end of the season.
In statements reported by the Spanish newspaper "Marca," Xavi said, "I say it again now, if we are not competitive at the end of the season, I will leave. There is a really good project, not in terms of me being a coach, but in terms of the genuinely good upcoming generation."
He added, "I believe it's the start of something big, but we have to work hard and we have to win. It's about winning at Barcelona."
Barcelona, currently trailing league leaders Girona by eight points in La Liga, will play their next match against Villarreal on Saturday.
Guardiola Supports Barcelona in "Neyrerira" Case
FC Barcelona accused of corruption in the case of paying money to arbitration officials
