Xavi Hernandez is officially the new coach of FC Barcelona over a week after the club sacked Ronald Koeman due to a poor run of games.
FC Barcelona offered Xavi Hernandez a deal that is expected to keep him at the Spanish side until 2024.
Recall that immediately after Ronald Koman was sacked, Xavi was seen as Barcelona’s top choice even though he has never coached a club in mainstream Europe.
The only club the former FC Barcelona midfielder had coached before he returned to Barca as a manager was Qatari side Al-Sadd. He has been the coach of the Qatari club since 2019 and has helped them to win four major titles.
Initially, the Qatari club didn’t want Xavi Hernandez to leave this season. They wanted him to stay until the season ends amid Barcelona’s interest in him.
Also, the contract extension the retired Spain international signed with the Qatari club earlier in 2021 made the negotiation between Barca and Al Sadd more difficult.
After a series of back and forth, FC Barcelona agreed to pay the multi-million euros buy-out clause in Xavi’s contract just to be able to bring him back to Camp Nou where he had the best of his playing career.
“FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi Hernandez for him to become a first-team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons,” Barca’s statement read.
Xavi Hernandez is the product of FC Barcelona academy. He joined the club youth system in 1991. He gained promotion to the club’s senior team in 1998 and played for the club until 2015.
During his playing days at FC Barcelona, he made 767 appearances in all competitions scoring over 58 goals despite being a midfielder.
His input in the midfield helped FC Barcelona to win 25 major titles including 8 La Liga titles, and four UEFA Champions League titles.
In a video addressed to the fans, Xavi said: “It wasn’t goodbye, it was ‘see you soon. Camp Nou has always been my home.
“You’re my fans, my people, the club that I love the most. And now, I’m coming home. See you soon, Culers. For Barca!”
Strength, sacrifice, attitude …
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 6, 2021
Xavi's way pic.twitter.com/bW1faK2QKa
Can Xavi Hernandez become another Pep Guardiola at FC Barcelona?
Xavi Hernandez is expected to be like Pep Guardiola who is a former player of FC Barcelona and came back to become a successful coach of the club.
Guardiola became the coach of the club in 2008 when he was just around 37-year-old. The only experience he had then was that he spent about a year coaching the Barcelona B team.
Despite the little experience, Guardiola who had an array of football superstars to choose from including Xavi himself went on to win treble – UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey in his first season.
When Guardiola was asked to comment on Xavi’s return to FC Barcelona as a coach, the current Manchester City manager said Xavi has more experience than he did when he was appointed Barca’s coach in 2008.
“Ronald and myself know exactly that we depend and live and we are there for the results,” Guardiola said.
“Nobody can survive without good results, not Koeman or Pep. All I can say is he’s a friend of mine, I wish him all the best, we can chat soon…
“Xavi – I don’t know what’s going to happen. In case it happens I don’t have any doubts he’s ready to do the job.
“He knows the game, he has passion and I’m pretty sure he has more experience now than I had when I took over.”
A legend on the pitch, with the soul of a manager pic.twitter.com/FFNvE98hNV
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 6, 2021
