As the days go by, FC Barcelona inch ever closer to making a tough decision for their future. Uncertainty lies across the board, both in terms of the player transfers as well as the management area. This is primarily because the managerial role at Barcelona for next season remains undefined.
According to Xavi Hernandez, current head coach of Barcelona, he is set to leave after this season. The Catalan coach believes his time to be over, and that a new face must lead the project forward. However, among the candidates that the Blaugranes reportedly still like, some familiar faces stay intact.
As per Mundo Deportivo, there are exactly four names that the Catalans are currently keeping as active options. Three of those four already have coached at Barcelona, albeit at different levels and to different degrees of success. One of them, however, would be a completely foreign bet.
Sticking with Xavi:
The first option is still the current Barcelona coach himself. Xavi Hernandez is still trusted by those within the club and they believe his time at the Catalan capital is not yet over.
However, they also suspect that the only way in which Xavi could be convinced to change his mind and stay at La Blaugrana is if Barça wins either the Champions League or La Liga.
A possible homecoming:
Another face that Barcelona are all too familiar with is Luis Enrique. Currently the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain, Barça’s upcoming opponents in the Champions League, he is someone with an extensive understanding of Barcelona.
He is also someone that is very appreciated within Barcelona and they like his profile. However, he typically always takes his contractual obligations seriously and will likely manage PSG for an additional season.
Promotion from within Barcelona:
The last of the names that the Blaugranes has a history with is Rafa Marquez. Formerly a player at the club, he is now head coach of Barcelona Atletic. He is, however, seen primarily as an emergency option and not exactly as a primary candidate. Other names on this list, for now at least, are bigger priorities for Barcelona.
The German bet:
Then comes the one name that Barcelona are completely alien to for now. Hansi Flick, former coach of Bayern Munich and the German National team, is another name on Barça’s agenda.
With the history of his record-breaking stint at Bayern and his close connection to the National team of Germany, Barcelona consider his option to be a solid one as well.
Moreover, given the fact that he is not obligated to any club at the moment and is looking for a new challenge, his acquisition could be much easier than that of someone like Luis Enrique.
