Barcelona’s prospective presidential candidate Victor Font has reiterated his desire to bring Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Xavi Hernandez back to the club.
Blaugrana supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned from his position earlier this week and Carlos Tusquets is the new interim president of the club, and is likely to be in position until early next year, when new presidential elections will be held.
Font is expected to be challenged by former Barcelona president Joan Laporta in the race to take charge at the Camp Nou ahead of the 2021-22 season, while there is likely to be a candidate who may have been politically closer to former president Bartomeu.
All candidates come from different sections within the club’s hierarchy, with differing views on how the club should be run and what it stands for and what should be prioritised.
Font said, in quotes carried by Marca: “Our intention is to build a very strong and competitive project. We are very lucky at Barça to have inherited a style of play that Johan Cruyff instilled. In addition, most of the professionals who know this style best also love the club like Pep Guardiola, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta or Carles Puyol.
“They are all legends who love Barcelona but are not working for the club today. We have to bring them back to make sure we have a very competitive project.”
Guardiola’s contract at City expires at the end of the current campaign, but ESPN’s Sam Marsden points out that a return for him to the Camp Nou might not necessarily be in the capacity of head coach.
What Font means is people with history at Barca like Guardiola should be working at the club. And that the door is always open for Pep. If he ever comes back, I imagine it will be in a role that is not first team coach, but never say never 🤷
— Samuel Marsden (@samuelmarsden) October 30, 2020
Xavi has been heavily linked with a return to the club in recent months and indeed the former midfielder maestro Xavi rejected Barcelona over the managerial position in January after the sacking of Ernesto Valverde, although that position is likely to have changed following the change of board.
Font previously told Cadena Ser’s El Larguero show earlier this year that current boss Ronald Koeman would not be retained under his stewardship, regardless of results this season: “Even if Koeman has a great season I would not change my plans. If I become president, Koeman will not be the coach in 2021/2022.
“Xavi understands that all the pieces of the club have to fit together. A Board of Directors that lets whoever leads the sports project work, which in our case would be him.”
barcelona we want win a little
We love messi