Xavi Hernandez has emerged as one of the main candidates to replace Ronald Koeman at Barcelona as the new head coach. The former Barcelona midfielder made 767 appearances for the Catalonian club and is one of the most respected names among the fans and the club in general.
Koeman has come under fire from the fans, the media and the management. The results have not been in the favour of the Dutchman, and the fans have not been supportive of his comments in front of the press either. “To be at the top in the League would be a success and in the Champions League you cannot expect miracles,” the Barcelona boss said in context of the results in the Champions League.
Barcelona opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich at Camp Nou. Joan Laporta is not supportive of the ‘defeatist’ attitude that the coach currently has, and the tensions between the two parties are now rising higher with every passing game.
The Blaugrana are currently seventh in the league, with a game in hand. They have earned 9 points from a possible 15, with a game in hand on the rest of the league. Most recently, they drew in La Liga against Granada at home and Cadiz away.
Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has also emerged as a potential candidate for Joan Laporta to consider. However, the Belgian FA is confident that they will keep Martinez until the 2022 World Cup at the very least.
Moreover, while Xavi does not have a release clause in his contract, he does have a good relation with Al Sadd’s owners. As a result, he could be persuaded by Barcelona if they really want him, and the owners of the Qatari club will comply due to their relationship with Xavi. His family is currently settled in the Middle East, but the 41-year-old could finally return to Camp Nou as the manager of the club if Koeman is dismissed within the upcoming months.
