FC Barcelona is quietly working on finding a new coach for the upcoming season. After Xavi Hernández announced his resignation for the 2024-25 season, the Barça board is now on the lookout for a replacement. Despite this, President Laporta is not giving up on convincing Xavi to stay, as mentioned in his recent interview with Mundo Deportivo.
Xavi Hernandez
Barça’s sports leadership believes that winning either the League or the Champions League, or at least reaching the final, could persuade Xavi to reconsider his decision to leave. Both the coach and the president are optimistic about the team’s chances in these competitions.
Luis Enrique
If Xavi doesn’t stay, Barça already has some preferred options for a new coach. One of them is Luis Enrique, known for his coaching skills, experience, and commitment to young players. However, he still has a contract with PSG for another year, so it might be a challenge to bring him on board.
Hansi Flick
Another potential candidate is Hansi Flick, who is currently available and has a good track record with Bayern Munich. Laporta is particularly interested in him due to his experience and character. Flick also has the support of Pini Zahavi, a trusted agent of Laporta.
Rafa Marquez
The house option, now in the background but still there, is Rafa Márquez (45 years old). The Barça Atlètic coach does not have the experience of the coaches mentioned above but he is trusted by the club and is having a good season with the Barça reserve team. It plays against him that he is not as media-friendly as the others and his dalliances on social networks with a betting house, frowned upon by important people in the club.
In short, the casting is moving forward, but as Joan Laporta mentioned in Mundo Deportivo, “we are not going to make any changes until Xavi decides.” And if any of the top choices are not willing to wait, they will miss their opportunity.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper