Barcelona finally did the right thing on Wednesday, announcing the dismissal of Ronald Koeman. Despite his poor start to the season, the Blaugrana tried to stick with the tactician. However, his failure to improve in recent weeks made his dismissal all but inevitable.
Following the departure of the Dutchman, the focus has quickly shifted to who could be the next Barcelona manager in the coming days. According to reports, the Blaugrana are nearing an agreement with Xavi, their former midfielder and current Al-Sadd head coach.
The prospect of having the Spaniard back in charge at Camp Nou appears appealing. However, it is important to note that this is a risky move for both parties.
Xavi does not appear to be the best option for the Blaugrana right now for a variety of reasons. On that note, here are five of them:
Reason no 1: Dealing with former coworkers
One of the most difficult challenges Xavi may face if he is appointed manager of Barcelona is how he will get along with his former teammates. During his time at Camp Nou, the Spaniard shared the dressing room with Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, and Sergi Busquets.
That could be a major issue for the tactician. To instill his philosophy on the team and make key decisions, Xavi will need complete control of the locker room.
Will he be brave enough to bench Barcelona’s aging stars in order to usher in a new era of young and promising players? Will he be able to put his personal relationships aside in order to do what is best for the team?
Reason no 2: Xavi’s friendship with Victor Font
Victor Font is A former Barcelona presidential candidate
In the run-up to the club’s elections at the start of the year, Barcelona’s presidential candidate Victor Font built his campaign around Xavi. The two men are thought to be related, which apparently irritates Blaugrana incumbent president Joan Laporta.
According to reports, Laporta was hesitant to give Xavi the job as a coach in the first place for the same reason. Obviously, the former Blaugrana midfielder would not have had a chance if the president had chosen his options.
This could lead to a strained relationship between the two in the future, especially if the team’s results don’t go as planned. It will be interesting to see how things play out in the coming days if Xavi is appointed as Barcelona’s next manager.
Reason no 3:Not enough experience
The team is regressing if we’ve learned anything from Barcelona over the last few seasons. Hiring a coach with no prior experience appears to be a huge risk in this regard.
Xavi will most likely bring an exciting style to Camp Nou, but he lacks experience. Even though he did a commendable job with Al-Sadd in Qatar, it is important to note that the Qatari league and La Liga are vastly different in terms of quality.
The fact that Barcelona is currently in a terrible situation only complicates matters. Xavi will be under pressure to turn around the club’s fortunes. Can he be trusted to lead Barcelona’s revitalization without prior experience?
Reason no 4: There aren’t enough quality players in Barcelona’s ranks.
If Xavi is appointed as Barcelona’s next manager, the Blaugrana will almost certainly return to their possession-based style of play. During his playing career, the Spaniard was a master of the art.
However, it is debatable whether Barcelona currently has the personnel to implement such a style of play. Veterans like Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, and Jordi Alba have already reached the end of their careers. They’ve lost their sharpness and ability to press as effectively as they once did.
Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite, Luuk de Jong, and Ousmane Dembele are all unsuitable for Blaugrana’s style of play. Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, Pedri, and Alex Balde have shown promising signs, but they are too young to bear the burden of carrying a declining team.
Furthermore, Xavi would require some time to instill his philosophy in the team. Unfortunately, there appears to be no time for that, as Barcelona must produce an immediate turnaround after a poor start to the season.
The Blaugrana are currently ninth in La Liga, having won only four of their ten games this season. With only one victory in three games this season, they also risk missing out on the Champions League knockout stage.
Reason no 5: Barcelona’s poor structure
Barcelona’s structure isn’t ideal right now. The club has undergone numerous changes recently, beginning with the athletic department and progressing to the executive section.
Xavi would have very little say over who he works with at Camp Nou, at least in his first few months in charge. It would make more sense to hire someone from within the club as a temporary solution right now.
Alfred Schreuder, Ronald Koeman’s assistant manager, excelled in last month’s 3-0 victory over Levante. Garcia Pimienta impressed with the youth team, and Sergi Barjaun has also proven to be a viable option. It wouldn’t hurt to give any of these names a shot on a short-term basis before bringing in new personnel.
