So, it's confirmed: Se queda. Xavi announced defiantly in late January that he would be leaving Barcelona at the end of the campaign, and asserted that there would be no circumstances in which he might return. A Champions League win wouldn't be enough, nor would a miraculous La Liga turnaround. His decision, he insisted, was made.

Except, it wasn't. Barca, after months of trying, have convinced their manager who seemed so certain to depart to stick around. Quite why they have been so desperate to change the legendary midfielder's mind isn't wholly clear, though. Xavi hasn't necessarily done poorly in Catalunya, but there is a sense that he has taken the club as far as he can.

The Blaugrana, really, need a fresh face in the dugout, but Barca have convinced him to stay all the same, with the coach set to see out the rest of his contract, which expires in 2025. It all sets up an interesting season ahead, as Barca face the reality of trying to compete with a surging Real Madrid with a largely similar set-up to the one that has struggled so much at times in 2023-24. Either way, it should make for interesting viewing.

GOAL takes a look at the winners and losers of Xavi's decision to remain at Barcelona...

WINNER: Joan Laporta

Well, the big man got his wish. For months, Barca president Joan Laporta had floated in the press that he might try to convince Xavi to stay. It was clear that Laporta wanted his manager to stick around, dubbing him a "club legend", and claiming that Xavi had earned the right to remain in Catalunya until at least the end of the season amid calls for him to be sacked.

Laporta wins in enumerate ways here. First of all, he gets to keep his preferred candidate for the job. He has always had a good relationship with Xavi, while the long time 'Cule' has undoubtedly benefitted from having someone with an unconditional love of the club as the figurehead of the team.

But perhaps more importantly, from a practical standpoint, this makes sense for the Barca's flailing finances. it is no secret that the Spanish giants remain in massive financial trouble, and will be forced to sell this summer in order to refresh the squad. A new manager search would also, then, have added to the potential expenses, and in a crowded market place, Barca might have simply been outbid for some of their top options.

Laporta, then, gets to keep his favourite, and also save some cash.

LOSER: Xavi's happiness

Yes, seriously. Xavi repeatedly claimed that the media circus that came with coaching Barcelona made him fall out of love with the job. He mentioned that it had taken a toll on his mental health, and went as far to discourage others from inheriting the role for fear that they may have the same struggles.

And that's not any more likely to change now he's sticking around. The Catalan media will remain ruthless, while the press will continue to circle every time Barca drop points, or the manager makes a mistake. He will still be pestered about his tactical decisions, Barca's finances, and the presumptive dominance of Madrid in La Liga.

If anything, it might all get worse. Xavi may love this job, and love his club, but by opting to stay, he has opened himself up to further criticism. Should he leave again - for real this time - it may not be on his own terms. And the chances are, it won't be amid much understanding from those who cover the club.

WINNER: La Masia's top talents

Xavi has received criticism from a number of angles for the way he has handled the Barcelona job, and rightly so in some cases. His tactical decision-making has been poor on a number of occasions, while his system undoubtedly grew stale throughout the 2023-24 season.

However, he cannot be called into question for his usage of youth. Xavi has handed out 15 debuts to La Masia products in his two-and-a-half years at the helm, and worked a number of top talents into the first team. Under his tutelage, Lamine Yamal has emerged as one of the most exciting talents in the game, while, Pau Cubarsi and Fermin Lopez have both become regulars. It was also Xavi's decision to make Gavi an indispensable part of the team during his early days at the club, while he kept faith in Ansu Fati to a point, despite a series of injuries rattling his career.

Barca won't be able to invest heavily in the coming months, and Xavi probably knows this. Working the kids into the fold, then, will be crucial if Barca are to remain competitive in La Liga.

LOSER: The old guard

Although there's continuity at the top, change seems to be afoot in Barca. Xavi has already hinted at it, ushering a new wave of young players into the side. Add the exciting Vitor Roque to play up front, and this could be a very young, very good team before too long.

That would seem to be bad news for the old guard. Barca already started the rebuilding process when Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba left last summer, and the presumed departures of Marcos Alonso and Sergi Roberto will only continue it.

Among the other veterans, Robert Lewandowski, in particular, faces a tricky summer. The legendary Polish striker has been a shadow of his usual self this campaign, and is now well into his mid 30s. As such, he doesn't seem to have very long left in Barcelona, and should a big-money offer come in from Saudi Arabia or MLS, he too could be set for a departure.

WINNER: Real Madrid

Real Madrid won't be too upset over this latest Barca soap opera. Over in the Spanish capital, the managerial situation looks far more comfortable, as although the season began with Carlo Ancelotti seemingly edging towards accepting the position to lead the Brazilian national team at the Copa America, that move has since collapsed, with the legendary Italian penning a contract to stay in the Spanish capital until 2026.

He will do so with a rebuilt squad at his disposal. Endrick, Kylian Mbappe and perhaps even Alphonso Davies will all arrive in Madrid this summer to join the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Eduardo Camavinga, as well the returning Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba. Meanwhile, the chances of Xabi Alonso coming in as Ancelotti's eventual replacement grow stronger every day.

It would seem harsh to say that Madrid are better off due to the simple reality that Xavi is staying. Los Blancos can take heart, though, in the fact that little seems set to change for their biggest rivals. Xavi got the best out of this Barca side in the 2022-23 season, and deserved to claim the title. But it seems that the Blaugrana are now unlikely to improve from a position where they look set to lose their crown by a double-digit points margin, and Madrid can only benefit from that fact.

LOSERr: La Liga's fourth officials

Xavi didn't necessarily have a bad reputation as a player. The Barca legend was regarded as a classy playmaker over the course of his career, the kind of footballer who talked with his ability to pace a game - not necessarily in his fractious relationships with others.

That has changed on the sideline. Xavi has been a menace for fourth officials during his tenure as Barca manager, constantly in the face of those making the decisions off the pitch. He ranted in the ear of an official - and then the referee - against Atletico Madrid to earn himself a two-match ban, and most recently was sent off in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain for screaming and then kicking a camera stand.

In total, he has received over 20 yellow cards in La Liga alone since becoming a coach, and has now been sent off more times this season than in his entire playing career. There might be a few more earfuls in the years to come, then...