Xavi will end his reign as Barcelona manager at the end of the 2023/34 season and we have looked at who could replace the Spanish coach at Camp Nou.
Why Is Xavi Leaving Barcelona?
The Spaniard has decided to leave Barcelona at the end of the season, ending a two-and-a-half-year spell with the club.
During his time at Barcelona, Xavi has brought success back to Camp Nou – winning a league and cup double in 2022-23.
However, Barca were eliminated from both the Champions League and Europa League last season and have underwhelmed in the 2023-24 campaign so far.
Fierce rivals, Real Madrid, currently sit top of La Liga and are eight points clear of Barcelona who take up the third spot.
Poor performances have played a part in Xavi’s decision to leave the club, but the environment and ‘tension’ around La Blaugrana have led the Spaniard to depart.
With Xavi moving on in the summer, the search for a new manager has begun at Barcelona and we have looked at who could take the reigns at Camp Nou.
Who Will Be The Next Barcelona Manager? Top 5 Candidates
Roberto De Zerbi
The Brighton manager has been rumoured with a move to a European giant over recent seasons, after a very impressive spell with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Taking over in September 2022, De Zerbi has transformed life at the Amex Stadium, bringing an attractive style of football, making huge profits from younger players and becoming the first Brighton manager to qualify for Europe.
The Italian manager is under contract until 2026 and has also been linked with the Liverpool job, as Jurgen Klopp has also confirmed his departure at the end of the season.
Hansi Flick
The former Bayern Munich manager has been rumoured with a move to the Nou Camp, which would be his first management job since his time as Germany manager from 2021-2023.
During his reign at the Allianz Arena, Flick added a list of trophies to his arsenal – winning the Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, German Cup and two Bundesliga titles.
Flick was also the assistant manager for the Germany national side from 2006-2014 and was part of the team who won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Julian Nagelsmann
Another possible option for Barcelona is the youthful Julian Nagelsmann, as the 36-year-old continues to rise as one of the top manager prospects in Europe.
Currently, Nagelsmann is the head coach at Germany and is under contract until the end of Euro 2024 – meaning his job will depend on how Germany perform at the competition.
Despite being an active manager, Nagelsmann has been linked with a host of clubs and has attracted interest from Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
During his managerial career, the German has won the Bundesliga and two German Super Cups, while also being named manger of the year in 2016-17 with RB Leipzig.
Thomas Tuchel
Another manager who has been confirmed to leave his post in the summer is Thomas Tuchel, as the German has confirmed he will part ways with Bayern Munich.
The former Chelsea manager was a surprise appointment during the 2022-23 season – replacing the aforementioned Nagelsmann and Tuchel went on to win the Bundesliga.
However, the 2023-24 campaign has been less fruitful, with Bayern Munich sitting in second and are set to miss out on a Bundesliga title for the for time in 12 years.
Tuchel has established himself as one of the best managers in football, winning the world’s best club coach with Chelsea during their Champions League winning season.
Mikel Arteta
Finally, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been consistently linked with a return to Barcelona as manager – despite making huge progress with the Gunners.
Arsenal were in their first title race in over a decade during the 2022-23 campaign, sitting top of the table for 248 days before losing their place to Manchester City.
This is the longest time any club has taken up top spot without winning the Premier League, but his side are back in contention this year – sitting third in the table.
Rumours over a move to his boyhood club began to circulate in January, but Arteta claimed he had no intention of leaving and was ‘very upset’ about the links.
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