It looks like Xavi might not get to enjoy the fairy tale ending to his storied Barcelona career.
Everything was going so smoothly for the legendary Spanish midfielder. He appeared to have the best possible send-off before he heads to Qatar after the Catalans secured a historic treble.
However, now both Xavi and Barcelona are under investigation over the final game of the La Liga season against Deportivo La Coruna.
Both sides shared the spoils of a 2-2 draw on that occasion, but Barcelona are facing accusations of easing off to allow their opponents to earn a vital draw. The point was enough to keep Deportivo in La Liga seeing them finish on 35 points, which was the same as Eibar. However, Eibar were relegated because of their head-to-head record.
Deportivo player Lopo revealed that he approached Xavi during the game, and told him that the best result for both teams would be a draw.
“I told Xavi that they should loosen up a little, because a draw was good for everyone. They are completely competitive. He told me that they weren’t going to throw the match for them. Barcelona’s level was not at the same level it normally was and that worked in our favour.”
Lopo’s comments, which seem to suggest to Xavi that he should throw the match, are being investigated by LFP (Liga de Futbol Profesional). If it can be proven that Xavi heeded his advice and deliberately underperformed, he could face some serious trouble.
UPDATE:
LFP president Javier Tebas has dismissed that Barcelona and Deportivo are being investigated over match fixing allegations. However, Tebas did confirm that Lopo’s comments are being investigated and that he could be sanctioned.
Hat-tip to Sport Witness
