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Hansi Flick | Barcelona is reportedly considering hiring the German as their next head coach.
Over the weekend, Xavi announced his intention to leave the Catalan club at the end of the current season.
His decision came after Barcelona had succumbed to a 5-3 defeat at home to Villarreal, a result that leaves them 11 points adrift of leaders Girona in the La Liga table.
However, the club legend has spoken out about the pressures of managing Barcelona, which have increased during a period of inconsistent performance.
With the 44-year-old insisting on finishing the season in the dugout, Barcelona officials have time to find their preferred replacement.
A number of names, including Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, have been linked with the position. However, the Spaniard has since stated that he has no desire to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer.
Hansi Flick to take over Xavi?
According to BILD journalist Christian Falk, president Joan Laporta remains interested in acquiring Flick’s services.
The 58-year-old is currently unemployed following a disastrous stint as Germany’s manager, in which he won only 12 of 25 games and was fired just before his country hosted Euro 2024.
Nevertheless, his stock remains high due to his efforts in charge of Bayern Munich between November 2019 and June 2021, Flick lifting seven pieces of silverware despite overseeing just 87 matches.
That included a Champions League victory in 2020, and it appeared to be one of the draws when Laporta allegedly tried to hire Flick as Barcelona manager before Xavi returned to the club.
Falk says Laporta had a video chat with Flick at the time, and those conversations are expected to be revisited in the coming weeks.
Flick has never managed outside of Germany, though he did serve as Red Bull Salzburg’s assistant manager in 2006.
Barcelona is unlikely to rush into any final decisions, especially given that qualification for next season’s Champions League is in doubt and they have yet to significantly improve their financial position.
