The Catalan newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez is set to succeed the Dutchman Ronald Koeman as the coach of the Catalan club. According to the newspaper's sources, an agreement with the former star player and current coach of Qatari club Al-Sadd is a matter of hours, although it is not official yet. Sergi Barjuan, the coach of Barcelona's B team, will serve as the interim coach until the new coach is appointed.
Xavi was close to becoming Barcelona's coach last year after the club president, Joan Laporta, questioned Koeman's ability to continue. The report states that Laporta considered hiring Liverpool’s coach Jurgen Klopp or Ajax’s coach Erik ten Hag, but realizing that a deal of this magnitude was difficult to achieve at this time, chose to give Koeman some more time.
Barcelona's consecutive defeats have led Laporta to conclude that a coaching change is necessary. The newspaper indicated that Laporta is considering Xavi because the latter’s coaching style aligns with Barcelona's playing philosophy.
According to "Mundo Deportivo," bringing Xavi to coach Barcelona will not be automatic as he must be freed from his commitment to Al-Sadd, noting that this could be possible through negotiations with the Emir of Qatar, who has previously expressed willingness to facilitate Xavi's departure if an offer comes from Barcelona.
On Wednesday, Barcelona officially announced Koeman's dismissal following the team's defeat to Rayo Vallecano in the eleventh round of La Liga. This defeat came after Barcelona's loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico with a score of 2-1.
