Only some weeks after Laporta convinced Xavi Hernandez to go back on his word and continue as the Barcelona head coach for the next season, the latter’s position at the Catalan club’s bench is once again subject to a lot of uncertainty.
So much so that it was reported that the Barcelona President is fully determined to part ways with Xavi this summer, and only a radical change in his thinking can allow the former midfielder to remain in charge of the team.
As a result, speculation about who will replace Xavi on the bench is already rife. Previously, Hansi Flick and Rafa Marquez were considered to be the favorites for this position, while Marcelo Gallardo was also being seen as a possible option.
Yesterday, Roberto de Zerbi, who was previously also being considered as a replacement for Xavi, also terminated his contract with Brighton and Hove Albion by mutual consent. His being free also makes him a highly attractive option for FC Barcelona.
In such a scenario, Mundo Deportivo claims that the name of the Italian coach, Thiago Motta, can also be added to the list of possible replacements for Xavi, as an outsider has recommended and offered him to one of the powerful individuals at the Catalan club.
However, for now, it remains to be seen whether the Catalans will actually consider his name going forward, and a lot depends on whether he still has a good relationship with the people managing the Blaugrana club, for whom he has formerly worked as a player.
There is no doubt he can be an interesting option for Barcelona, especially keeping in view his work with Bologna this season, a team competing for third place in the Italian Serie A.
He is already being considered as a serious candidate to replace Max Allegri at Juventus, but as Motta himself made clear yesterday, nothing is finalized yet, and he has his options still open.
