Barcelona are expected to appoint Xavi as their next head coach after Ronald Koeman’s sacking.
The Catalonia club confirmed on Thursday, October 28, that Barcelona B coach Sergi Barjuan will take temporary charge of the squad until they make the appointment of a full-time head coach.
In his latest update, Fabrizio Romano reports that the club are preparing the contracts for Xavi’s arrival.
Xavi Expected to Be Next Barcelona Boss
Replacing Ronald Koeman
Barcelona president Joan Laporta provided the clearest indication that Xavi will take over at the club on Friday.
In quotes cited by Fabrizio Romano, he said: “I think Xavi is in an interesting process of growth as coach and I have very good references from people who know him very closely. We’ve spoken often for two months & have a good relationship, I know his opinion of the team.
“I have always said that Xavi would coach Barça one day,” Laporta added. “He loves football, he belongs to Barça and that was and is his goal. I trust the people next to me, who follow him and know him, him and other coaches”
The 41-year-old has managed Al-Sadd since he retired at the Qatari side in 2019. In the summer he rejected the chance to take over at Barcelona after deciding to commit to his current team.
Xavi has been tipped as the early favourite for the job and it is believed he now wants to become Barcelona’s next head coach.
Barcelona have been in contact with Xavi for weeks about the job due to Koeman’s failure to turn results around.
The only matter that will be debated once it will become official is if he is ready to take the weight of the job.
Xavi Destined to Become Barcelona Head Coach
Xavi as the next Barcelona head coach has seemed like a pre-arranged destiny since he entered the world of coaching.
If he does take over, he will face the prospect of guiding an elite team out of a long-lasting crisis. Barcelona have not transitioned from the Lionel Messi era with ease and off-the-field financial problems continue to be a running factor.
Despite the issues, Xavi has been seen as a destined coach since he began his career in the dugout. Barcelona have often enjoyed appointing managers who have made history at the Catalonia club and there are not many people who have the knowledge and success of Xavi.
That was part of the reason behind Koeman’s original appointment – he had prior accomplishments at the club and the hierarchy believed this would command respect from the players. It would be unsurprising if this was a factor in appointing the Spaniard as Barcelona have had a chaotic season so far.
Likewise, Laporta took a gamble on Pep Guardiola in 2008 when Barcelona were stagnant. The decision was rewarded with historical accomplishments. Now, the Barcelona president will be hoping that Xavi can follow his mentor in creating a formidable team once again.
Xavi came through the Barcelona academy and established himself as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. A World Cup winner with Spain, Xavi was known for his phenomenal passing ability, vision, ball control and spacial awareness
He made 767 appearances, scored 86 goals and won 27 trophies. He also won two European Championships and a World Cup in consecutive tournaments for the Spanish national team.
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