The former manager of Barcelona and legendary player Xavi Hernandez revealed that he would be willing to take charge of another Liga club and actively seeks to return to management.
The former captain of the Catalan club returned to his childhood club in November 2021, taking over on one side that waded after the sudden departure of Lionel Messi. Xavi directed Barcelona to a second place before lifting the Liga de Liga title in its first full season (2022/23).
However, tensions were never far from the surface during the tense spell of Xavi. The former coach of Al Sadd complained several times: “Barcelona is the most difficult club to manage in the world.” After proposing to resign at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, the club convinced Xavi to stay only to dismiss it to make room for Hansi Flick.
In an interview Football from France (via AS), Xavi has maintained his deep affection for a club which is “much more than football, it is almost a religion”. However, insisted that this lasting relationship did not exclude him from taking another job in the Spanish elite.
“I have nothing predetermined, I am open,” said Xavi. “Why not train another team at La Liga? I’m looking for an exciting project, I have the ambition to win trophies. This is the main objective. I will listen to the different offers.”
The former Spanish international has also opened up to the possibility of resuming a country. “I want my players to have fun, develop a football that is attractive for fans and wins titles,” he radiated. “I want to win the Champions League, the European Championship, the World Cup.”
Plunging more specifically in its decline in Barcelona – the club finished ten points at the drift of the Real Madrid championship champions last season – Xavi cited the modifications of the staff at the hierarchy. “My first and a half year at Barça was very, very good,” he noted.
“We had a good project with [director of football] Mateu Alemany and [sporting director] Jordi Cruyff who allowed us to finish second at La Liga, before winning the championship in 2023, as well as the Spanish Super Cup. Then the results were worse. The departure of Jordi and Mateu was a hard blow. “”
Barcelona did not miss their former manager much this season, taking advantage of a invigorated brand of direct football under the fact, which leaves them well placed to complete a triple European that we have not seen since the days of Xavi in the midfield.
