Five players who could be great managers

#5 Xavi

Will Xavi have as much success as a manager as he did when he was a player?

It is almost written, isn’t it? Former midfield dynamos Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique went on to oversee an unprecedented period of success at Barcelona, while another Barca linchpin is nearing the end of a glittering career, waiting to make the next step.

The problem Xavi would have if he were to be handed the reins at Barcelona in the near future, is that the fabled La Masia academy is looking a little thin on the ground in terms of the quality of graduates at the moment.

So, does Xavi simply go elsewhere for a few years, cut his teeth, wait for the next crop to come through, and return to a hero’s welcome? It may not work out as romantically as that, but the Spanish genius is destined for management, as you cannot waste such a beautiful footballing brain. When an artist can no longer paint, he instructs others how to.