Barcelona again are faced with the decision of who to replace Xavi Hernandez with, if indeed President Joan Laporta decides to go through with his intention to sack him. One of the things that worked in Xavi’s favour ahead of his U-turn was the lack of consensus on a replacement though, a problem which now rears its head again.
As per Sport, there are five candidates on the table, with Hansi Flick, Barca Atletic boss Rafael Marquez, Roberto de Zerbi, Thomas Tuchel and Thiago Motta reportedly on the shortlist. Bologna boss Thiago Motta is widely expected to join Juventus though, while Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that Tuchel has no intention of joining the Blaugrana.
On the other hand de Zerbi was initially ruled unlikely due to his €12-15m release clause at Brighton and Hove Albion, but having left the Seagulls, that would no longer be an obstacle.
On the other hand, MD say that the race is realistically between Flick and Marquez. The former has the backing of Laporta, and is represented by his close friend and agent Pini Zahavi. Marquez has the backing of Sporting Director Deco, who feels his former teammate has the necessary tools to take over from Xavi – he has also worked with a number of the young players that Barcelona are relying on next season.
The sporting commission, which also includes Joan Soler, Bojan Krkic, Alejandro Echevarria and Rafa Yuste will also have their voices, and some at the club have reportedly told Laporta to consider carefully whether he wants to sack Xavi. A decision will not come before next week, when Laporta must work out Xavi’s future, and perhaps more pertinently, his compensation package.
That is a factor that will work in Marquez’s favour if it comes to it, as he would be the cheapest option over Flick. His knowledge of the club, the language, and the players are also pros for Marquez’s appointment, but he remains unproven at the top level. Flick is almost the opposite, in that he has won it all with Bayern Munich, but has little experience of success outside of that spell, but Zahavi’s sway could be significant too.
