Barcelona have confirmed that their youth team coach Rafa Marquez has left the club. He will now become the assistant coach of the Mexican national team under Javier Aguirre before taking over as the new head coach in 2026 after the World Cup.
The Catalonian side released the following statement, confirming his departure:
“The Club would like to thank Rafa Márquez for his dedication and professionalism during his time as coach in which he became a fundamental figure in the players’ development and wishes him all the best in the future on both a professional and personal level.”
Rafa Marquez leaves Barcelona for national team challenge
Rafa Marquez played in 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 World Cups for Mexico.
— B/R Football (@brfootball) July 21, 2024
Now he joins their coaching staff 🇲🇽🫡 pic.twitter.com/0RuaGaWUGk
Marquez is one of the few people to have played five different editions of the World Cup. He has made 147 appearances for the national team, and accepted their proposal inspite of recently committing to Barcelona’s youth team till 2025.
He recently came close to securing promotion to the second division with Barcelona B, but ultimately fell short as his side finished third in the Primera Federacion.
Aguirre was keen on recruiting people who understand his style of management and play. And Rafa Marquez could add much more than tactical know-how to the team, with experience at the biggest stages for club and country.
Did Rafa Marquez play for Barcelona?
Yes, he played for them between 2003 and 2010.
