Why there are no winners in sorry story of Xavi’s exit

Knives finally came out for coach who signed new deal in September, resigned in January and made U-turn in April

Parco on Passeig de Gràcia does the best sushi in Catalonia, or at least the most famous. If the Vatican has white smoke, FC Barcelona had a delivery boy in a white helmet getting off his motorbike and pressing the buzzer at Joan Laporta’s penthouse flat near the top end of Diagonal. It was just before 11pm on 24 April and he held in his hand an embossed brown paper bag containing the takeaway which in that instant became a symbol of celebration and agreement, the scene excitedly broadcast live. The restaurant had free publicity and Barcelona had a new coach, same as the old one.

For a couple of hours the crowd outside had seen people arrive, a show played out in public the way they wanted it. It had started at San Joan Despí, the outcome uncertain, but they had decamped to the president’s place. Outside, journalists watched Xavi turn up, reverse into a parking space too small, pull out again and go in search of another. They had seen Deco, the sporting director; Rafa Yuste, the vice-president; and Alejandro Echevarría, who doesn’t have a post but does have a lot of weight. They had seen Bojan Krkic by the intercom. There had been the occasional false alarm too. But now they knew.