Ronald Koeman took over a very broken Barcelona team that was going through a transitional stage, yet he managed to win a trophy in his first season with the club. His achievement was not looked upon too keenly by the new president, Joan Laporta, and the person heading the club made it clear that he did not trust Koeman as their manager.
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After a tense few weeks, it was confirmed that Koeman would continue as the manager for at least one more season; however, if he is unable to change Laporta’s views on his tactics, he may very well be on his way out after next season. While there have been a lot of speculations as to who could replace Koeman, one name that keeps popping up is Xavi Hernandez.
The former Barcelona legend and one of the best midfielders in the history of the game, has been linked with the Barca job for many years. When Quique Setien was sacked last to last season after a horrible loss to Bayern Munich, many thought that it was about time that Xavi was brought back to the club. Alas, that was not the case as Bartomeu decided to go with the more experienced coach, and thus Ronald Koeman was appointed as the manager. Koeman had previously managed the likes of Everton, Southampton, Ajax, and even the Dutch national team. Thus, it is easy to see why Bartomeu trusted the Dutch manager over the Spanish one.
Xavi Hernandez talks Barcelona return
Xavi, who is currently the manager of the Qatari side, Al Sadd, claims that he was never even approached by the Barcelona board, and thus, there is no question of him joining the Catalans next season. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the former Barcelona legend talked about the Messi situation, Pedri’s growth, and even his own links to the club as a manager. However, his response will leave fans disappointed. When asked about the possibility of him joining Barca, he said,
"“At all times I have told you that no one has contacted me, although I have a very good relationship with Joan Laporta and many people on the Board of Directors, but nothing more.”Source Mundo Deportivo"
He went on to say that his family is well settled in the country and that they are not looking to move at the moment. While it is certain that Xavi will end up as the manager of the Catalans, one day in the future, the day is not arriving soon enough for the fans.
According to reports, there are two reasons as to why Laporta is not pushing for Xavi as the manager of the club just yet. The first reason is that Koeman has a contract with the club and sacking the Dutch manager could result in a lengthy and expensive termination process, secondly, Laporta is waiting for Xavi’s former teammates to retire as that could lead to power complications which the president wants to avoid. As for now, Koeman will lead the team into the 2020/21 season and hopefully, he can have a better start than his debut season.
Will Xavi be successful at Barca?