Barcelona have a roadmap to finding their next coach to replace Xavi Hernandez with four candidates in the mix, although there are several possible scenarios and these will be resolved depending on the team’s progress.
What is clear is that Xavi Hernandez will leave his post on June 30. This was announced after the 5-3 defeat at Montjuic against Villarreal in January and there is no turning back, not on the 43-year-old’s part or on the board of directors, regardless of how well they perform in the Champions League.
There are many big names to factor in, including Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi, Hansi Flick, Rafa Marquez, Jurgen Klopp, Mikel Arteta and Thiago Motta.
There are those who are better placed and others who have already been discarded by the club, despite the fact that their names have appeared in various media. The club’s senior management have a clear blueprint to follow.
Bad results
If the team continues to lose ground in LaLiga EASPORTS to Real Madrid or if there is an unexpected elimination from Europe, Xavi’s departure could arrive earlier than planned. Everyone in Barcelona is confident the team will reach the quarterfinals by beating Napoli in the Champions League, but if they don’t, the plan could change quickly.
Despite receiving words of support from club president Joan Laporta, he will not tolerate negative chants from the Montjuic crowd and Xavi is his ‘shield’.
The three obvious candidates
The decision they have in mind would be to put Rafa Marquez on the bench until the end of the season and the Mexican would be delighted. It would be the best emergency solution to end a year with no trophies to avoid more jeers inside the stadium.
From June onwards, the search to find a permanent appointment would come into play. At the moment, there are two coaches better placed than the rest, De Zerbi and Flick, as they are the two most-liked by Laporta and sporting director Deco.
There is yet to be a concrete offer, as Barca are waiting for the outcome of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) situation so that they can inform the new coach about what he will have at his disposal next year.