While signing players remains priority number one for FC Barcelona when reinforcing the squad for the upcoming season, so do other positions in the team need to be addressed as priorities. The most prominent amongst the latter remains the renewal of the head coach.
Xavi Hernandez arrived in November of 2021 and has since been the head coach of FC Barcelona. Taking over from Ronald Koeman at a point where the club was drastically underperforming and even looking like they’d miss out on European qualifications for the Champions League, he managed to turn the ship around and guide them back to the UEFA Champions League.
Fast forward to the present day 2023, and FC Barcelona finish the 2022/2023 season, Xavi’s first full one in charge of the club, with both the La Liga title and Spanish Super Cup to show for their efforts. Courtesy of such a strong first full season, reports by SPORT suggest his renewal is already looking imminent.
Xavi currently boasts a solid record in his first full season as club manager. With 35 wins from 51 games, 27 having been won from 36 in La Liga, he has also enabled his side to become renowned for not just their positional play but also their defensive qualities, something quite unlike FC Barcelona and what fans of the club have come to expect of them.
The manager currently remains contracted to FC Barcelona until 2024, but Joan Laporta and his board wish to extend his stay at FC Barcelona for at least two more years until 2026, as per reports.
They believe that the Spanish manager is the right person to lead and steer this new generation of Barca talents and stars to heights they are yet to fully even grasp, and have thus accelerated the renewal talks with the 43-year-old.
Moreover, the manager has reportedly been completely understanding of the club’s financial situation as it stands and has been ever so helpful in making negotiations easier to conclude.
