Xavi makes shocking decision about Barcelona future
Xavi might return to manage Barcelona one day, but his decision to renew his contract with Al-Sadd means he won’t succeed Quique Setien this summer.
Barcelona fans hoping to see Xavi make a glorious return to Camp Nou this summer are set to be sorely disappointed. The club’s midfield legend has made the shocking decision to extend his stay with Al-Sadd by another full season.
The 40-year-old had successfully led the Qatar club to two trophies in his brief tenure in charge, but Barcelona officials are already convinced he has the ability to be a successful La Liga manager someday. That’s why everyone at Barcelona will be caught off guard by Xavi’s decision to renew his contract with Al-Sadd.
Via Twitter, he now claims his immediate priorities will be to rebuild his current squad’s roster to achieve even more success next season.
Xavi’s decision really complicates Barcelona’s summer plans. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Quique Setien will be fired unless he miraculously pilots the club to a Champions League title. The top priority of any manager who takes over for Setien will be to repair the club’s rocky relationship with global icon Lionel Messi.
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Xavi’s previously established friendship with Messi made him the obvious choice to accomplish that crucial goal for Barcelona. Now that he’s out of the frame for another 12 months, the club will face intense pressure to identify another candidate who can work well with Messi and the other established stars on the club’s roster.
It’s now very likely Barcelona will shift their attention to more established managers with a more robust record of European success. That heightened level of experience won’t necessarily help the club improve their interpersonal relationships. That’s what made Xavi such an appealing candidate.
From the young manager’s perspective, delaying what many people view to be an inevitable move to Barcelona could be a savvy decision. He’ll face immense pressure the minute he returns to Camp Nou in any capacity.
Gaining some more managerial experience before making that storybook move could improve his chances of succeeding when he does take the reigns of the prestigious club.
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Barcelona fans should just look at Xavi’s decision to stay at Al-Sadd as an admission that he’s not quite ready to assume the immense responsibility of managing the Spanish giants. It could easily turn into a blessing in disguise for Xavi and his former club.