BARCELONA: Barcelona say coach Xavi Hernandez is leaving the club at the end of the season.
The Spanish club made the announcement Friday after a meeting between club president Joan Laporta, Xavi and several other senior figures at the team’s training ground.
The club said Laporta “has informed Xavi Hernández that he will not be continuing as first team coach in the 2024-25 season.”
Xavi’s last game in charge will be Sunday’s away game against Sevilla on the final day of the league season.
His departure comes a month after Xavi had reversed a previous decision made in January to leave the club this summer. In April, the 44-year-old Xavi said that he had changed his mind after his players showed him that they believed in the team’s potential and had improved their performances.
But Laporta had reportedly been displeased by Xavi’s recent comments in a news conference that Barcelona’s poor financial situation would make it nearly impossible to compete against Real Madrid and Europe’s other top clubs.
The former midfielder led Barcelona to the Spanish league title last year, but the team are eight points behind already crowned champion Madrid going into the last round.
As a player, Xavi left Barcelona in 2015 after helping the club win 25 titles, including four Champions Leagues and eight Spanish leagues in 17 seasons while forming a formidable trio with Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta. He was also key to Spain’s streak of titles when they won the 2010 World Cup and European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
Laporta brought Xavi back from his only prior coaching job in Qatar in November 2021 to lead his rebuilding project of a club that had just lost Messi amid a financial crisis.
The following summer the club sold off future television revenues and other club assets, which Laporta dubbed financial “levers,” to sign Robert Lewandowski and other players. Xavi was able to win the club’s first titles since Messi’s departure and the future looked bright.
This season, however, Barcelona lost all three ‘clasico’ matches against Madrid and were thumped twice by upstart Catalan rival Girona, losing both of their league matchups 4-2. They also lost in the quarterfinals of both the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

SHANGHAI: Porsche has committed to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship until at least 2030.

Ahead of the 2024 Shanghai E-Prix, Porsche AG and Porsche Motorsport, alongside Formula E and the FIA, have confirmed the news for seasons 13 to 16.

This decision ensures that the Stuttgart-based manufacturer will be on the grid when the next generation of vehicles, known as GEN4, debuts in the all-electric racing series.

“Like Formula E, we want to add innovative technologies and increased sustainability to motorsport — and be at the cutting edge of new developments,” Thomas Laudenbach, vice president, Porsche Motorsport, said.

“The world championship offers a first-class stage for this: racing at the highest level, public interest worldwide and high technological relevance. The knowledge from racing flows directly into our sports cars: motorsport engineers sit shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues from road projects. After all, we don’t develop technology for the sake of technology — it has to benefit our customers.”

With features like all-wheel drive that can be activated at certain points in the race, the new generation presents an additional technical challenge for the teams. GEN4 will be introduced in season 13 (2026/2027), providing manufacturers with greater scope for development and offering valuable insights for their series production.

Other technology promised in the GEN4 era will be focused on significant breakthroughs in energy efficiency, race performance, and safety standards. This next-gen platform will introduce features such as regeneration capacity reaching up to 700 kW and a power-output surge up to 600 kW.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team boast a legacy few of their rivals can match. Since their entry into Formula E in season six, they have amassed eight victories, 16 podium finishes, and six pole positions — all in just 68 race starts.

“With their unwavering commitment and innovative spirit, we are thrilled to announce that Porsche will continue to be a cornerstone of our championship for at least another four years,” Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, said.

“Their dedication to the highly anticipated GEN4 era not only pushes the boundaries of technology and performance but also sets a new standard for excellence in worldwide motorsport.

“With Porsche’s expertise and high-performance powertrains as one of the world’s most revered automotive manufacturers, this renewed partnership bolsters an exciting future for Formula E, filled with even more groundbreaking achievements and unforgettable racing moments.”

Meanwhile Michael Steiner, executive board member for research and Development at Porsche AG, said: “Right from the outset, we regarded our Formula E commitment as long-term. The evolution of racing vehicles shows how much development potential there is in e-mobility.

“Going forward, we want to glean even more knowledge from Formula E that we can transfer to our road sports cars. As one of the most competitive series in motor racing, it’s already pushing us to achieve technological excellence. We look forward to continuing to shape the championship and contributing to the advancement of e-mobility.”