It comes after weeks of increasingly disappointing results for Barcelona – the reigning champions are 11 points behind league leaders Girona and 10 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga. The team must also be wary in a race for the Champions League of Athletic Bilbao, currently fifth at -2 points. Barcelona has suffered a significant setback, having already lost the Supercopa de España final and being eliminated from the Copa del Rey. Criticism has grown harsher regarding Xavi’s performance, directly proportional to the rumors circulating about potential replacements.
Xavi, even in the days following the official announcement of his departure at the end of the season, takes the opportunity to express his frustrations: ‘Here, they make you feel useless every day. Talking with Pep Guardiola, he had already told me, then I saw Luis Enrique suffer. We need to reflect; we have a problem. It seems like you risk your life at every moment; that’s why I say it’s not pleasant. I arrived here in one of the most difficult moments in the club’s history, and I think our work is not valued enough.’
POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS
As Xavi prepares for the final intense months as Barcelona’s coach, the list of candidates for the 2024/2025 season includes some notable names (from Thiago Motta and Hansi Flick to Thomas Tuchel, Roberto De Zerbi, and the Girona miracle coach Michel). Another name, not entirely unexpected, emerges – José Mourinho. According to ABC, Mourinho has unofficially been offered by his agent Jorge Mendes.
A few days after being dismissed as Roma’s head coach, the Special One rejected offers from Al-Shabab and Saudi Arabia – andwas spotted in the city of Barcelona. This fueled speculation about the reasons for his presence in a place where he has already had a significant phase of his career. From 1997 to 2000, Mourinho served as an assistant to Brian Robson and later as an assistant to Louis van Gaal – a crucial step to refine his tactical knowledge and group management skills. This laid the foundation for his successful journey with Porto, Chelsea, Inter, Real Madrid, and Manchester United.
Mourinho is closely associated with Mendes, and Mendes is associated with Deco, the player with whom the Portuguese coach won his first Champions League in 2004. Deco is now the sporting director of Barcelona after starting as an agent alongside the head of Gestifute. He collaborated with the influential Portuguese agent.
