Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has been named the club’s coach, after years of coaching crisis that has forced the Spanish giants to change up to four coaches.
Xavi was wooed back to Barcelona, where he had an illustrious career that started with the youth team, from Qatar, where he was working as the head coach of Al-Sadd Football Club.
“FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi Hernández for him to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons,” the club said in a statement.
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Barcelona is fighting through a series of crises ranging from financial straits to poor team performance that has kept the club at ninth position on the league table. It is also battling to qualify from the Champions League group stage.
Barcelona’s former player, Andy Koeman, who was hired in August 2020, to steer the club back to winning ways, was given the boot last month, following a 0-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano. The Dutch man’s sack put Xavi in line to take the critical job.
The club said he will be unveiled in a few days.
“It is expected that Xavi Hernández will arrive in Barcelona this weekend and that on Monday 8 November his presentation as new FC Barcelona first team coach will take place in an event open to the public at Camp Nou,” it said in a statement.
Over the last few days, Barcelona has been in talks with Al-Sadd of Qatar owners, over the transfer of Xavi. Agreement was reached on Friday after Barca paid the €5 million release clause in his contract with Al-Sadd.
Although he started with the U12 team in 1991/92, Louis Van Gaal handed Xavi his first team game in 1998, kicking off a career journey that ended with legendary status in 2015. In his 17 years with Barcelona’s senior team, Xavi played 767 games, winning 25 titles including eight La Liga, four Champions League and three Copa del Rey.
“One of the greatest midfield maestros of all time, he helped redefine the art with his creative mind, pinpoint passing and sublime ability to read the game. The utter brains of the team, he made up for his lack of physical might with extraordinary wits, superb skills and an extraordinary talent for governing everything that went on in the middle of the park,” Barcelona has said about him.
Xavi began coaching in 2019 after hanging his boots in Al-Sadd, where had moved in 2015 after leaving Barcelona. He had a successful spell in his three years as a coach, leading Al-Sadd to seven titles, including the Qatari Super Cup.
Given his coaching success and the Barca philosophy in him, the club has been trying to sign Xavi since 2020, after Ernesto Valverde was sacked.
Xavi shot to limelight from 2003 under Frank Rijkaard, and established himself as one of the greatest midfielders to ever tap the round leather game under Pep Guardiola from 2008.
His return to Camp Nou means taking charge of the team where his former teammates; Sergio Busquets, Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Jordi Alba and Ter Stegen still play.
“It wasn’t goodbye, it was ‘see you soon’. The Camp Nou has always been my home,” Xavi said in a video statement to fans.
“You’re my fans, my people, the club that I love the most. And now, I’m coming home. See you soon, Culers. Forca Barca!”
However, Xavi’s homecoming is packed with tumultuous tasks. Following Lionel Messi’s departure to PSG in summer, Barcelona’s poor playmaking has further been exacerbated. The Argentine astro was seen as carrying the heavy weight of keeping Barca in winning ways. Thus, his departure has created a vacuum in the club that will take years to fill.
Koeman was heavily criticized for his style of play among other things. Playing a 4-2-3-1 formation that goes contrary to the 4-3-3 that Barcelona was popular of, his style of play was found unattractive by the club’s supporters.
Xavi was instrumental to Barcelona’s tiki-taka style of play under Guardiola, which made the club the most beautiful playing team in Europe at that time.
It is hoped that Xavi taking charge of the team will revitalize the Guardiola’s era philosophy, strength, style of play and winning mentality. Xavi’s first test would be a derby game against a fellow Barcelona club – Espanyol – scheduled to be played on November 20, after the international break.