Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has given his verdict on rumors linking Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola with a switch to Barcelona. The Italian journalist does not believe there is anything between Barca and Iraola and thinks the club will wait for Xavi to change his mind until the last minute.
Fabrizio Romano Insists Barcelona Are Not In Contact With Managers
In January, former Barcelona star and now manager Xavi announced his decision to step down from his position at the end of the 2023-24 season. The Spaniard claimed he only had the club’s best interest at heart and insisted a managerial change was the only way forward for the Blaugrana. Since his announcement, Barca players have banded together and are currently pushing to upset the odds and win both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
With Xavi still determined to leave in July, the rumor mill has linked many managers to the Barcelona job, including Roberto De Zerbi, Hansi Flick, and Thomas Tuchel. Bournemouth manager Iraola has become the latest name to join the list of elites, but Romano does not think Barca are thinking beyond Xavi.
In his Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside, Romano revealed:
“Honestly, I’ve nothing on Barca and Iraola so far.
“Barcelona have clear intentions in any case. Laporta wants to wait for Xavi, hoping for him to change his mind. Barça will wait again for Xavi, for sure.”
He concluded by adding:
“Then if he decides to confirm that he wants to leave Barca will consider other candidates, but they’re not advancing in talks with any other coach as they want to wait for Xavi.”
Barca President Joan Laporta Does Not Want Xavi To Leave
La Masia graduate Xavi has a special place in the heart of the Barcelona hierarchy, including president Joan Laporta. In a recent interview on Mundo Deportivo, Laporta said he had asked Xavi to stay but would not force him to.
He said (via Forbes):
“I told him: we respect the fact that you’re here until the end of the season. It’s your decision. We’re doing well, we’re getting better and better. Look, since he’s said it, he’s won again and we’re winking at each other as if to say something can happen here. It’s going like this, it’s going better [than before] and the objectives are achieved.
“Xavi already knows that I would like him to continue, but I already told him at the time, when he said about the pressure, that here we are always under pressure with the experience that you have.”
Laporta added:
“I asked him if there was a way for him to change his mind, but I saw him with insurmountable pressure on his face, [and] I told him to relax if he saw it that way.
“He keeps saying that at the end of the season he will leave, but we will see. Let’s not put pressure on ourselves because at the moment this formula works.”
Barcelona are second in La Liga rankings, sitting eight points behind leaders Real Madrid after 30 games. Meanwhile, in the UEFA Champions League, they will need to dispatch Kylian Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to move into the semi-finals.
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