Xavi Hernandez
FC Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has said he is still eager to manage Barcelona but only if there isn’t a “toxic” atmosphere around the dressing room and named Serge Gnabry and Jadon Sancho as potential signings he would be keen on.
Xavi manages Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd and previously rejected an offer to move to Barcelona as the offer from his old club came “too soon” for him but said “it will continue to be a dream of mine in the future to manage Barca.”
Xavi confirmed on Sunday in an interview with La Vanguardia he still wants to manage the Catalan club but it appears that recent reports of friction between players and the club’s leadership have caught his attention.
“I would like to work together with people in whom I have confidence, with whom there is loyalty and who are very valid people. There can’t be anyone toxic around the dressing room,” he said.
Referring back to his previous decision not to take on the role, Xavi said he knows what he can bring to the table after working with Al Sadd.
“I am clear that I want to return to Barcelona, I am very excited. Now that I have seen myself coaching I think I can bring things to the players. But I made it clear to them that I saw myself in a project that started from zero and in which the decision-making was mine.”
Alongside Gnabry and Sancho, Xavi listed Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Frenkie De Jong, Arthur Melo and Lionel Messi as players he would love to coach in his dream team.
Xavi played with Barcelona from 1998 to 2015 and made more than 700 appearances for the club.
He won eight La Liga titles in that time before moving to Al Sadd in 2015 where he played until May, 2019.–