Spain have no plans to dismiss manager Luis de la Fuente any time soon, with the former under-21 coach recently having extended his deal until 2026 to include the World Cup cycle. However the Royal Spanish Football Federation do have coaches in mind that could succeed him.
One of them in particular is likely to cause a stir. As per Cadena SER, Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez is an option that is well-liked within the Federation as a potential Spain coach down the line. It has not been made clear whether Xavi would be interested in that, although of course he was the beating heart of the most successful international run ever with Spain, winning two Euros and a World Cup in the space of four years.
🚨 Rafa Márquez is once again an option to replace Xavi. The club is very happy with the work he is doing at Barça Atlètic and appreciates that he is a coach who knows the club very well, along with the young talents who are succeeding in the first team. @DBR8 pic.twitter.com/xSK6oy0uMS
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 2, 2024
This is not to say that a deal would come to fruition either. For some time it looked as if Marcelino Garcia Toral would be Luis Enrique’s successor, while Athletic Club coach Ernesto Valverde is certainly likely to have more than a few advocates next time the job comes up. This news also emerges after reported interest in Xavi from Chelsea, Newcastle United and Ajax, which would suggest that someone is trying to boost his stock.
