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Former Barcelona defender Rafa Marquez has emerged as a serious candidate to replace Xavi as the club’s head coach. Marquez only began coaching in 2020 and is currently the manager of Barcelona’s B team. The two former players were teammates at the Catalan club for seven years between 2003 and 2010. Barcelona collected a series of trophies during this timeframe, including four LaLiga titles and a pair of Champions League triumphs.
Xavi previously revealed that he would be leaving his role with the team at the end of the current campaign. Upon making the announcement, the coach claimed that he did not exactly enjoy his time at the helm. Nevertheless, Barcelona rattled off a 13-game unbeaten run following the manager’s comments.
This impressive form, however, ended Tuesday night in the Champions League quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain. The Spanish side entered the match with a slim advantage in the two-legged affair. Barcelona, however, ended up getting thumped by the reigning Ligue 1 champions by a score of 4-1 and was subsequently knocked out of the competition.
A Barcelona defeat at the weekend may signify Xavi’s departure
Although club president Joan Laporta has been adamant in wanting Xavi to change his mind regarding his upcoming departure, the coach does not seemingly want to stay. Along with this, the debacle against PSG may force the club to speed up their search for a new manager. The team is now out of the European tournament and sits eight points behind Real Madrid in the domestic table.
The two Spanish rivals meet at the weekend in a massive matchup. A Real victory would wrap up the club’s quest for the league title. If this happens to be the outcome of the fixture, reports out of Spain suggest Xavi could be immediately fired.
Diario AS is reporting that Marquez could very well be appointed the new Barcelona manager if the team loses on Sunday. Club brass may opt to part ways with Xavi earlier than expected,…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/marquez-may-replace-for-xavi-at-barcelona-earlier-than-expected
Author : Chris Moore
Publish date : 2024-04-17 15:28:40
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