Xavi opens up on the possibility of managing Barcelona in the future

Barcelona legend Xavi has said that he has the vision of managing Barcelona at some point in the future. The former Spain international has recently called time on his playing career with Al-Sadd and he is looking forward to gaining valuable managerial experience in Qatar before making the comeback with the Blaugrana in some coaching capacity.

Speaking to Efe, Xavi revealed that he has the ambition of making the highest level of management at the Catalan giants but he would prefer to start from the grass roots to build his coaching reputation, he said: “Now I start my career at zero, I can’t start with a Ferrari or a transatlantic ship, I have to start with a small boat, a small car, test myself, gain experience, and yes, it’s true that the objective is to return to Barcelona, but I’m calm. The idea is to start as a coach in Qatar, where there is not as much pressure, to test myself and to gain experience, and the objective is to return to Europe and most of all to Barcelona.”

The Catalan giants have been a dominant force when it comes to the Spanish top-flight and they recently secured their fourth league title from five seasons. Nonetheless, they have not been able to replicate the same at the European stage and that remains a cause of concern, considering they have one of the best squads at their disposal.

Ernesto Valverde’s team are scheduled to face Valencia during this weekend’s Copa del Rey and a victory would mean that they would have clinched the competition for the fifth season running. Elsewhere, they have the chance to celebrate a second-straight domestic double and that should provide them with some contentment after the shock elimination at the hands of Liverpool during the Champions League semi-final.