Xaxi Hernandez confirms he was offered the chance to manage Barcelona but turned them down.
Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez spoke for the first time following the failed negotiations that would have seen him replace Ernesto Valverde as manager.
According to Sport, he said,
“Yes, I received an offer from Barcelona when Abidal and Oscar Grau were here but I didn’t accept it, especially because it’s too soon to coach Barcelona.
But let nobody doubt that it’s my dream in the future to coach Barca.”
His rejection led to the club signing former Real Betis manager, Quique Setién, which Xavi had nothing but praise for.
Turning down his dream job was a sensible move by Xavi as it would have been too soon and had the potential to derail his career if things went wrong.
Wanting to start a project from scratch rather than coming in at a turbulent time is not ideal, especially for a manager starting out.
The club seems to understand why Xavi turned them down and there is no bitterness on their part. Josep Maria Bartomeu was asked if the door had closed on Xavi one day becoming Barça manager.
“But, clearly, Xavi, will be the coach of Barça one day, I have no doubt,” said Bartomeu. “He is very capable , he’s a person that perfectly understands our football, he’s hugely keen to do it and one day he will.”
The door remains open for Xavi to become one manager and it’s one of the rare things the club has gotten right during this whole ordeal.
Xavi’s contract with Al-Saad runs out in June 2020 so he will need to wait a couple of years before his dream job can become a reality. For now, he’s going to continue to prepare and gain experience before he comes back home.
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