Xavi Hernández agreed with Al Sadd to leave him to return to FC Barcelona, ​​says As

Xavi Hernández agreed on Friday with Al Sadd to leave him as of Thursday, November 4, to return to FC Barcelona. Until that day, the Spanish coach will continue to be the head of sports for the Qatari club – only in this way will the official statement sent by Al Sadd through social networks on Friday night be interpreted – directing the two games that They remain for the stoppage of the season: this Saturday against Al Ahli and on Wednesday against Al Duhail. Two QSL matches where in the first Xavi will be able to say goodbye to the fans when played at home, and offer the League title on a silver platter in the second, since if they beat Al Duhail, second in the table, at home, they would already distance themselves with six points of advantage.

He has also managed to get the Qatari club to waive compensation for his departure, which was set at a much higher figure of one million euros. In this regard, Al Sadd would welcome a reward for this gesture in the form of a friendly match within a maximum period of two years with the Blaugrana team in Doha. This is where FC Barcelona would enter the scene to finish defining the conditions of the friendly.

In principle, it is expected that both his final separation from Al Sadd and his signing for FC Barcelona will be announced next Thursday, November 4, or on the same Wednesday after playing against Al Duhail, a match that will be played at 4:55 p.m. . Spanish time.

In any case, what is certain is that Xavi would travel to Barcelona on Thursday or Friday of next week to be presented on Sunday, November 7 after the game against Celta in Vigo or on Monday at the latest.

Thus, the planned roadmap with the brand new coach does not go through either the game in Kiev, as Joan Laporta himself announced, or the one in Vigo, where the team plays against Celta on Saturday. And it is that his presence in this last game seems very hasty, especially considering that he would land in the best of cases on Thursday and would have to travel to Vigo on Friday, with only a training session behind him.

Hence Xavi and his staff technicians are already working to prepare some intensive weeks during the national team break -as if it were an ‘express’ preseason-, taking into account the handicap who will have a group of ten to twelve internationals out, and with the challenge of making his debut successfully on the bench against Espanyol at the Camp Nou.

So, as Pep Guardiola said in his presentation in 2008 as a new coach, “tie your belts because we are going to have a good time.” On November 20 a new era would begin. (D)