With Xavi Hernandez having announced that he is stepping down as head coach of Barcelona at the end of the season, the club will now begin their search to replace the 44-year-old, whose 2.5 year spell in charge will come to an end in the summer.
It has been a tumultuous time at the Catalan club over the last few months, and questions have been levelled at Xavi over his handing of first team affairs during this period. This does appear to be something that club bosses have taken a note of, and they hope to avoid being in a similar situation in the future.
This is because Marca say that Barcelona want their next manager to be experienced. This would rule out Rafael Marquez as an option, and the same for Thiago Motta, although the Brazilian-Italian is not expected to be in the race anyway.
It remains to be seen who Barcelona will go for. There are plenty of names out there who fit the bill, but it’s beyond clear that the right pick-up is desperately needed if their fortunes are to turn around.
