Getty Xavi Hernandez
Xavi Hernandez is already planning changes at Barcelona and has made three requests of the club as he prepares to replace Ronald Koeman as first-team coach at the Camp Nou.
The club legend spoke to Barca chiefs during negotiations in Qatar about what he feels needs changing, as reported by Diario Sport. First up is “an overhaul” of the club’s medical services which Xavi sees as “vital.”
The Catalan giants have been plagued by injuries this season with players such as Ansu Fati, Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Gerard Pique, Frenkie de Jong, Jordi Alba, Ronald Araujo, and Martin Braithwaite all spending time on the sidelines.
Xavi also wants to make changes to the backroom staff. The former midfielder will use the same colleagues he worked with previously in Qatar at former club Al Sadd.
The 41-year-old’s brother Oscar and Sergio Alegre will join Barca along with fitness coach Ivan Torres. Xavi also wants physio Carlos Nogeuira and scouts Sergio Garcia, David Prats, and Toni Lobo as part of his team.
Xavi’s third request is for the club to bring in a new forward. The new coach is said to “love wingers” and wants to add another wide player to the squad “if there’s money.”
Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has been regularly linked with a move to Barcelona, while Xavi is also thought to be a big fan of Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman.
Follow the Heavy on Barcelona Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Barcelona Delay Announcing Xavi Move
Al Sadd announced on Friday, November 5 that they had agreed to allow Xavi to return to Barcelona after the Catalan giants agreed to pay their former midfielder’s €5 million release clause.
Turki Al-Ali: The #AlSadd administration has agreed on Xavi’s move to Barcelona after the payment of the release clause stipulated in the contract. We’ve agreed on cooperation with Barcelona in the future. Xavi is an important part of Al-Sadd’s history and we wish him success.
However, Barca have still yet to officially announce Xavi has replaced Ronald Koeman as manager. The deal has been held by the fact that club sources have confirmed that Barca “cannot pay the €5m due to LaLiga’s fair play rules,” as reported by Ivan San Antonio at Diario Sport.
Barcelona have managed to find a way around the problem. The club and Xavi will pay €2.5 million each and the new coach could recoup some of the costs by undertaking promotion events in Qatar, as reported by ESPN’s Samuel Marsden.
Xavi is expected to sign a contract with the Catalan giants that runs until the summer of 2024 and to take charge of the team for the first time when Espanyol visit the Camp Nou in La Liga on November 20.
Xavi Says Emotional Goodbye
The Barcelona legend has said an emotional goodbye to Al Sadd as he prepares to leave Doha and head home. The Qatari side shared some photographs on social media of Xavi saying farewell to his players.
📸 لقطات من وداع #تشافي للاعبين
#السد #قطر
( 2 – 5 )
Xavi initially joined Al Sadd from Barcelona as a player in 2015 but went on to manage the club in 2019. The World Cup winner has guided his team to seven titles as coach in what is his first managerial position.
Barcelona had tried to bring in Xavi before as manager, but the former midfielder has previously revealed it wasn’t the right time. However, there’s no doubt there’s been a change of mind since.
Xavi told Catalunya Radio that a return to Barcelona now would be “spectacular” and an “exciting step in my career.” The 41-year-old will join a Barcelona team that lost Lionel Messi in the summer and are currently ninth in the table in Spain.
READ NEXT: Barcelona Confirm Injuries to Ousmane Dembele & Sergino Dest