Barcelona want Xavi to fill in the position of head coach after Ronald Koeman was relieved of his duties by FC Barcelona following the 1-0 defeat to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, according to Fabrizio Romano. The immediate clearance has made the managerial spot vacant which the club is planning to fill without any delay.
Koeman was on thin ice for the past month, but he failed to tread carefully as a result of which he had to witness the unfavourable outcome. The Dutchman was close to getting sacked in September. However, Joan Laporta considered giving him another chance to redeem himself. But, given the current form, even the president gave up the tiniest of his hope and regarded sacking him as the best option for the club.
Barcelona Want Xavi to Get the Club Back on Track
Barcelona to Negotiate With Al-Sadd Over Xavi’s Contract Termination
Ronald Koeman has left the club in ruins as Barcelona are now in a tough spot, both in La Liga and the Champions League. The club had already prepared for his replacement when he was close to departure in September.
Xavi, Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Conte, Phillip Cocu, Robert Martinez and Joachim Low were all shortlisted, and Martinez was considered as their primary option then. However, a month’s time has changed many things and the club are now considering giving their former player the responsibilities.
According to SPORT, the agreement with the Spaniard is already completed with Xavi accepting the project after his chat with Laporta a few days ago. The only thing left to be done for Barcelona is to settle the termination of his contract with the Qatari club Al-Sadd. There is a termination clause of €1 million in Xavi’s contract and after its settlement, it is only a matter of days that his appointment will be made official.
Once the agreement is officially confirmed, his complete managerial team will be expected to join him at Camp Nou. His brother Oscar and Sergio Alegre who are his assistants, and Ivan Torres, the physical trainer, would be the members who would arrive in Barcelona with the Spaniard.
Barcelona Appoint Sergi Barjuan as Interim Coach
The Blaugrana has appointed Sergi Barjuan as their caretaker coach until the full-time manager is decided. Barjuan who was a fullback at Barcelona for 14 years, was appointed as the head coach of the Barcelona B team in June this year. So far, he has managed five games out of which he has won only two.
He will be carrying out the duties of manager for the first team and will be discharged from the post as soon as the club completes the signing of their new head coach. Barjuan will be addressing the media along with the club president, Joan Laporta on Friday to discuss the details ahead of the fixture against Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.
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