Barcelona’s managerial hunt appears to be going steadily, despite Sporting Director Deco’s denial that they are not yet thinking about a new manager. However all of the reports surrounding the matter have named Thomas Tuchel, Hansi Flick and Roberto de Zerbi as candidates, while Julian Nagelsmann has also been linked to the role. The latest manager mentioned would be something of a surprise appointment.
Deco said earlier this week that ‘there are not many top managers available’, but assured fans that they would make the right choice after a period of consideration. It will be first major choice of his spell at Barcelona, upon which much of his career could swing.
According to Football Transfers, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has been contacted regarding the role to sound him out. The former Everton, Wigan, Swansea and Belgium coach was approached previously by Barcelona before they appointed Ronald Koeman in 2021, and was close to being given the job. He shares good relations with then Sporting Director Jordi Cruyff, and the same report goes on to detail that Martinez was keen on the role at the time.
🚨 Right now, De Zerbi is the coach with the best options to join Barcelona in the summer. @juanjimenista
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) February 29, 2024
They claim that he would be able to do the job alongside his national team role with Portugal, on a one-year deal with an opportunity for more.
Currently he has a contract until 2026 with Portugal where he is charged with leading one of their most talented generations into the Euros this summer and the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. It seems highly unlikely that President Joan Laporta would contemplate a coach sharing national team duties, evidence of which being that Koeman quit the Netherlands job in order to join the Blaugrana when Martinez was previously in the running.
