One of the most important tasks that FC Barcelona have on their hands for the coming few months is to find and bring a competent replacement for Xavi Hernandez who can take the team forward and back into the competition for top European glory.
There have been all kinds of coaches linked with the club since Xavi’s announcement of leaving the club, from the Barcelona Atletic coach Rafa Marquez to some up-and-coming names like Michel and Xabi Alonso, and also some highly experienced managers like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.
However, there have been reports claiming that Laporta is an admirer of the German school of coaching, and is thus thinking of getting a proven German name for this position. In this category, one of the coaches linked with the Catalan club is Julian Nagelsmann.
However, as per a recent report from SPORT, FC Barcelona have almost ruled out Julian Nagelsmann’s name as Xavi’s successor at the Blaugrana bench due to two major reasons.
The 36-year-old tactician attracted interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe with his performances at RB Leipzig. However, his time at Bayern Munich was not as successful, and he had to leave the club prematurely after suffering an unforgivable elimination in the Champions League against Villarreal.
Currently managing the German national team, Nagelsmann has still not been able to completely prove himself, especially as Die Mannschaft have not performed as expected in some recent friendlies.
Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the demands put on an FC Barcelona head coach are greater than those for most other clubs. The Catalans are looking for a manager with a lot of varying experiences in top-level football. At 36 years of age, Nagelsmann does not meet this criterion for the club.
Furthermore, Nagelsmann’s contract with the German National team ends after EURO 2024, which is scheduled to end in mid-July. Barcelona believes it would be too late for effective squad planning at that time, as a significant part of the summer window would have already passed by the end of the international tournament.
Therefore, as per the Spanish publication, Nagelsmann’s inability to join the Catalan club at a suitable time for effective squad planning and his relative lack of experience have led Barcelona to rule out his signing.