MADRID: Barcelona is close to the finalization of the long-anticipated return Xavi Hernandez as a coach, according to various reports at Catalan Press on Thursday, with Team coach B Sergi Barjuan was put into the dismissal of Ronald Koeman.
Barca President Joan Laporta was reported in talks with Xavi about an empty position on Thursday morning.
Xavi is currently Al Sadd coach but appreciates him from the Qatar club is not expected to be a problem, with Spaniard wants to complete sensational returns.
Local 41-year-old leaving Barcelona in 2015 behind winning treble, who took his career calculation into eight titles in La Liga and four in the Champions League.
He is widely regarded as one of the club’s biggest players and there is a big joy about his potential as a coach, after his influence on the Iconic Barca team managed by Pep Guardiola.
The morning training session scheduled in Barcelona on Thursday has returned to 5 pm (1500GMT) and will be taken by the bar, which tends to be responsible for the game at home to the Alaves on Saturday.
Barca have three matches to negotiate before the International Holidays, against Alaves and Celta Vigo in La Liga, as well as the important Champions League trip to Dynamo Kiev including.
Barca only won their last two league seven matches under Koeman, a run which included losing to Real Madrid in Clasico on Sunday at Camp Nou.
A bad start for the season has increased the chances of the team even failed to qualify for the Champions League next season, which will have great consequences for the terrible financial situation of the club.
Koeman spent six years in Barcelona as a player and was considered a club legend after scoring a winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final against Sampdoria.
He was appointed as coach by President Barca before Josep Maria Bartomeu in August 2020 and enjoyed some success in his first season, won the Copa Del Rey and brought Lionel Messi who was disappointed again.
But finishing disappointing in La Liga and severe defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the last Champions League 16 doubts about Koeman’s ability to navigate the biggest game, a critic aimed at him again at the end of the weekend after losing Real Madrid.
Laporta was re-elected as president in March and while he allowed Koeman to continue as a coach, there was never trust between the couple.
Laporta told Koeman in the summer, he wanted two weeks to find a replacement for the Dutch while Koeman reacted badly last month to Laporta which suggested the coach did not have all strength.
“He talks too much,” Koeman said.
There is no substitute found or can be persuaded to take over, maybe partly because of the dangerous financial problems of Bionbon.
The club is 1.35 billion euros in debt and must watch Messi join PSG in August after failing to renew the Argentine contract.
Other key players like Antoine Griezmann also departed without being replaced adequately when Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay both arrived at the free transfer and Luuk De Jong came from Sevilla with loans.
“In the past few years another club has strengthened every season and we haven’t,” Koeman said after his last match was responsible against Rayo.
Young children like pedri, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, Sergino Dest and Ronald Araujo have benefited from Koeman’s faith, but more established players have experienced a decrease in shape.
Koeman’s honest approach was mostly accepted and even appreciated last season, but the judgment for his troops, this term was seen by many people as counter-productive and not in accordance with Barcelona coach.
There was a criticism of the style of Koeman’s game, which became increasingly direct, while the council was reported to be annoyed by deviating from the club’s tradition of playing 4-3-3.
But the result is a key factor, as a 3-0 consecutive loss by Bayern Munich and Benfica in the Champions League followed by losses to Atletico and Real Madrid in the league.
Laporta said before the international holiday that Koeman “deserves benefits from doubts”, moved to end speculation that he would lose his job after the defeat by Atletico earlier this month.
But faced with the initial exit in the Champions League and the possibility of failing to make the top four in La Liga, Laporta decided to act.
Barcelona Name Sergi Barjuan as Interim coach to replace Koeman
