Barcelona are falling apart, and they’re losing one of the last few people who know the club inside and out at the end of the season. Xavi’s announcement of his departure at the end of the current season didn’t come as a shock to many, as he had always talked about leaving whenever he felt he could no longer be of value to the club.
Barcelona’s managerial search continues while rumors swirl around, but no concrete news has come to light. The club faces a crucial decision in finding the right successor, given the urgency of bouncing back from recent setbacks. With several candidates available on the market, let’s see in which direction Barcelona choose to go in this critical phase.
Deco rules out former Barcelona defender from managerial picture
Xavi is leaving Barcelona at the end of the season, which puts the club in a difficult position as they have to sort out a replacement for their former captain and most successful player. With Deco acting as the club’s technical director, he recently ruled out a potential candidate to succeed Xavi as the club’s manager, citing his inexperience with first-team football as a reason. The hunt for a manager continues for Barcelona.
The Spanish giants have been linked with several names as a replacement for the former Al-Saidd manager. Managers like Mikel Arteta, Thiago Motta, and even Jose Mourinho have had their names thrown around in the press in the past few weeks as potential replacements for Xavi.
While Arteta has done well to distance himself from the rumors linking him with the Barcelona job, a former Barcelona defender has seen his name linked with the job.
Deco has ruled out Rafa Marquez, the seasoned defender who is currently in charge of the club’s B team, as Xavi’s replacement.
“At the moment, we haven’t spoken to any coach,” Deco said. “I do follow Marquez because he is here. He is a young coach who is growing in the face of difficulties. Being here will make him a better coach, but he’s young, and we’re not looking to bring him as first-team coach right now,” the former Barcelona playmaker added.
Update on Jurgen Klopp’s rumored Barcelona move
The news of Xavi’s departure at the end of the season came a few days after Jurgen Klopp had announced his own departure from Liverpool at the end of the current season. The news rocked the soccer community, with many wondering how long he’d had that in mind.
Klopp stated he wanted to take a sabbatical as the pressure of coaching consistently in the Premier League had caught up with him. However, it’s surprising that he’s being lined up for a shock move to Barcelona, with Joan Laporta believing strongly that he can convince the former Borussia Dortmund manager to lead Barcelona to glory.
Sadly, sources close to the Liverpool manager have confirmed that nothing can change his mind about taking some time off from football. The German coach has even been linked with a national team job in his native Germany, which is less stressful and would be ideal for him at this point in his career.
