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Barcelona finally did the needful on Wednesday when they announced the sacking of Ronald Koeman. The Blaugrana tried to stick with the tactician despite his poor start to the season. But the lack of improvement in recent weeks made his dismissal pretty inevitable.
After parting ways with the Dutchman, attention has quickly shifted to who could be the next Barcelona manager in the coming days. According to reports, the Blaugrana are closing in on reaching an agreement with their former midfielder and current Al-Sadd head coach Xavi.
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The prospect of having the Spaniard back at the helm of affairs at Camp Nou seems enticing. But it is worth noting that it is a move that may not come out all good for both parties.
Xavi doesn't look like the right option for the Blaugrana right now because of many reasons. On that note, here's a look at five of them:
#5 Dealing with former colleagues
One of the biggest challenges Xavi could face if he is appointed Barcelona manager is how he gets along with his former colleagues. The likes of Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto and Sergio Busquets all shared the dressing room with the Spaniard during his playing days at Camp Nou.
That could be a serious problem for the tactician. Xavi will need to have total control of the dressing room to instil his philosophy on the team and make key decisions.
Will he be bold enough to bench Barcelona's ageing stars and usher in a new era of young and promising talents? Will he be able to put aside his personal relationships to do what is right for the team?
#4 Xavi's affiliation with former Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font
Barcelona's presidential candidate Victor Font built his campaign on Xavi in the build-up to the club's elections at the start of the year. The two men are believed to be affiliated, which apparently doesn't sit well with the Blaugrana's incumbent president Joan Laporta.
According to reports, Laporta was reluctant to give the coaching job to Xavi in the first place due to the same reason. Obviously, the former Blaugrana midfielder wouldn't have stood a chance had the president got the options he had in mind.
This could lead to a strained relationship between the pair in the future, especially when results don't go the team's way. It remains to be seen how things pan out in the coming days if Xavi is appointed as Barcelona's next manager.
#3 Lack of experience
If there's one thing we've learned from Barcelona over the last few seasons, it is that the team is regressing. In that regard, hiring a coach without a significant track record appears to be a huge gamble.
Xavi will likely bring an exciting style to Camp Nou, but he doesn't have the experience to rely on. Even though he has done a commendable job with Al-Sadd in Qatar, it is important to note that there's a huge chasm in level between the Qatari league and La Liga.
The fact that Barcelona are in a terrible situation at the moment only complicates matters. Xavi will be under pressure to turn the club's fortunes around. Without experience, can he be trusted to lead Barcelona's rejuvenation?
#2 Not enough quality players in the Barcelona ranks
Should Xavi emerge as the next Barcelona manager, it is quite certain the Blaugrana will return to their possession-based style of play. The Spaniard was a master of the art during his active days as a player.
However, there's a huge question mark on whether Barcelona have the required personnel to adopt such a style of play at the moment. Veterans such as Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba are already past their peak. They've lost their sharpness and ability to press like they used to.
The likes of Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite, Luuk de Jong and Ousmane Dembele are not well-suited to the Blaugrana's style of play. Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, Pedri and Alex Balde have shown promising signs, but are too young to be entrusted with the burden of carrying a team in decline.
Moreover, Xavi would need some time to inject his philosophy into the team. Unfortunately, there seems to be no time for that, as Barcelona need to produce an instant turnaround after their poor start to the campaign.
The Blaugrana currently rank ninth in La Liga, having won just four of their ten games in the Spanish top flight this season. They also stand the risk of failing to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League, with just one victory in three games this season.
#1 Poor structure
The structure at Barcelona right now isn't the best. The club has gone through a lot of changes over the last few years, starting from the sporting area to the executive section.
Xavi would have very little say regarding who he gets to work with at Camp Nou, at least for his first few months in charge of the club. It would make more sense to hire someone from within the club right now as a temporary option.
Ronald Koeman's assistant manager Alfred Schreuder did a great job in the 3-0 triumph over Levante last month. Garcia Pimienta was impressive during his spell with the youth team, and Sergi Barjaun has also proven to be a decent option.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to give a chance to any of these names on a short-term basis before bringing in other personnel.
