Barcelona has found a replacement for Ronald Koeman and it is a familiar face. Former club legend Xavi Hernandez is set to be appointed as the new manager.
Representatives from Barcelona were in Qatar the past few days negotiating an exit. Following Al-Saad’s final match, a number of players posted farewell messages to their soon-to-be former boss.
The Qatari club made things official on their end when they released a statement confirming Xavi was no longer their manager.
Official statement from Al-Sadd 📑⤵️
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 5, 2021
“The Al-Sadd 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”. #FCB
Release clause around €5m.
Xavi expected to take charge at Barcelona following international break
Despite Al-Sadd’s statement, the deal is not done. Barcelona has yet to release anything official and is reportedly annoyed with Al-Sadd’s statement. They are also denying that they are paying the €5 million release clause.
But the sensation is that it is only a matter of time before things are finalized. According to Mundo Deportivo, there is calm in the Xavi and Barcelona camps as they expect a deal to be done by Friday. They also deny a rumor claiming Xavi will be paying the release clause out of his own pocket.
Caretaker manager Sergi Barjuan is expected to remain in charge for the upcoming match against Celta. Xavi will not take over until after the international break where his first game will be the Catalan Derby against Espanyol.
Xavi is going to be taking over a Barcelona side mired in a mess both in La Liga and Champions League. A club low in confidence and with a number of injuries to important players.
What he does have on his side is patience. Unlike Koeman, he is going to have the support of the majority of fans. It is going to be a significant advantage. Nevertheless, he is going to have his work cut out for him.