Barcelona president praises Xavi, but says there are other options

the president of Barcelona, Joan Laporta, praised on Friday the former player Xavi Hernández as possible coach of the team, but said that more options are being considered.

“I’ve always said that Xavi will still be Barça coach, even more, I would like him to be Barça coach under my presidency, I don’t know when,” said the manager at a press conference in Barcelona to introduce another ex -player, Sergi Barjuan, as the team’s interim coach, replacing the recently fired Koeman.

However, the executive added, “there is the name of Xavi, but there are also other options. Barça has other options.”

Barjuan is coach of the youth divisions and Laporta believes he will be ahead of the first team for at least the next two matches, on Saturday against Alavés, in the Spanish League, and on Tuesday, against Dynamo Kiev, in the Liga dos Champions.

Laporta did not fail to praise Xavi, who currently coaches the Al Sadd team, from Qatar, his only professional experience.

“I will keep silent about the options we have because I believe that we would not act like professionals and could harm everything that is being done. doing,” he explained.

The manager added that he usually speaks regularly with the one who was captain of the best team in the club’s history, where he won four Champions Leagues with teammates like Lionel Messi and Andrés Iniesta, and coaches like Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.

“I have a friendly relationship with Xavi and we’ve been talking these months, I know perfectly well their opinion, with the team we have, about what we should do,” said the president, who he revealed has already watched the Barça games talking to Xavi on the phone.

Barjuan, in turn, set the team’s goal to “regain joy”, although “the way of playing doesn’t change, because the players are the same”.