FC Barcelona reach ‘verbal agreement’ with ‘top candidate’ to replace head coach Xavi
According to reports, La Liga giants FC Barcelona have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with Hansi Flick, who is being lined up to replace head coach Xavi.
Club legend Xavi announced at the start of this year that he would depart Barcelona in the summer, but he performed a U-turn last month to commit his future to the Spanish club.
Xavi to leave after all?
Xavi helped Barcelona win La Liga last season but this campaign has been more difficult and they are currently 12 points adrift of league leaders Real Madrid.
Barcelona chiefs moved to retain Xavi after his initial announcement in January as they believed he was the best-equipped head coach to get the best out of their young squad.
Despite this, it has been widely reported that Barcelona and Xavi could end up parting ways after all. This comes after the 44-year-old publicly admitted that it will be difficult for the club to compete financially with Real Madrid and other European giants.
He said: “I think that Barca fans need to understand that the situation is really difficult, especially economically, to compete with Real Madrid in Spain and others in Europe.
“We will adapt to this. It doesn’t mean that we don’t want to fight to compete and fight for trophies. It is the situation for Barcelona at this time. We need stability and time.”
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Regarding a potential replacement, Barcelona have been heavily linked with Flick in recent weeks.
The 59-year-old – who previously managed Bayern Munich – has been out of work since being sacked by Germany in September 2023.
According to a report from Sky Germany, Barcelona’s final ‘decision’ on Xavi will not be made before their final La Liga game of the season against Sevilla. But if he is let go, Flick is the ‘top candidate’ to replace him at the Nou Camp.
‘A move from Flick to FC Barcelona has already been prepared. According to Sky information, there is already a verbal agreement between the club and the former Bayern coach. Flick has presented Barca with a clear plan. Club boss Laporta is 100 percent convinced of the 59-year-old.
‘Ex-Barca professional Rafael Marquez, who is currently coaching the Catalans’ reserve team, is another option.’
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