9 months ago
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Arsenal fans may be suffering from a spate of Leverkusen syndrome after Xavi’s Barcelona bombshell.
The Catalan club legend stunned the world of football by opening his press conference following a 5-3 defeat to Villarreal by announcing he’ll leave on June 30.
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The 44-year-old former midfield maestro had earlier said he would quit if the season ended trophyless, and it now appears their only route to silverware is via the Champions League.
The result leaves Barca ten points behind LaLiga leaders Real Madrid, having already exited the Copa del Rey and lost the Supercopa de Espana to Real earlier in January.
Like Jurgen Klopp the day before him, Xavi’s declaration will worry many supporters of rival teams whose managers may be distracted by one of the biggest jobs in world football.
Bayer Leverkusen fans are already panicking about Xabi Alonso heading to Liverpool, and now the Gunners faithful may be having the same fears about Mikel Arteta.
Luckily for them, though, the hot-seat in Catalunya is likely to be open to far more runners and riders, even if Arteta started his career there…
Thiago Motta
An exclusive from Cadena SER midweek was widely picked up in after the outlet claimed Thiago Motta is top of Joan Laporta’s list to replace Xavi.
A former teammate of the departing coach at Camp Nou, Motta was also a midfield diamond who won numerous trophies as a player, including the Champions League once with Barca, and again under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.
Long earmarked as a future coach due to his command of the pitch, Motta is now certainly living up to expectations at Bologna.
Surprisingly competing for the Champions League places with a daring brand of football, the 41-year-old has made a name for himself as someone who isn’t afraid to do things differently.
Unlike Xavi, he also cuts a calm and commanding figure in press conferences, and appears to already have the personality of one of the game’s great managers.
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Mikel Arteta
It may be the most sensible move for Barcelona, but it also may be the most difficult considering how big Arsenal are.
However, having spent five years at Barca from 1997 to 2002, the draw of a return may prove too much.
Arteta has rebuilt Arsenal in impressive time, completely refurbishing the squad after it looked like the club might be set for a Manchester United-esque period in the wilderness.
Yet despite building the team in his own image and making it a challenger, things have stagnated this season, and Arteta hasn’t been seen smiling too much, that may change in a role as the Catalan’s saviour.
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Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi will understandably be linked with every big job in the world thanks to his Brighton displays, and has already seen his name put alongside Liverpool and Real Madrid by reputable sources.
Barca, though, might be the best fit of the lot thanks to De Zerbi’s thrilling football, promising to give the club and it’s fans exactly what they want since Pep Guardiola left in 2012.
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Jurgen Klopp
While Jurgen Klopp has said he’ll definitely take a year out, after leaving Liverpool, he likely wasn’t expecting the Barcelona job to become free.
Having said he’d never manage another English side, it’s almost certain that Klopp also wouldn’t return to Germany to coach a rival of former club Borussia Dortmund.
That leaves either international management, or somewhere else in Europe.
Klopp’s career has so far been all about taking sides back to the top, and repairing Barcelona could certainly appeal as his next miracle turnaround.
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Honourable mentions
Jose Mourinho was spotted at Barcelona airport earlier this month, and while his style is completely counter to everything the Catalans stand for, he is a former employee, and Laporta is a very unpredictable president.
Pep Guardiola said he wouldn’t go back, but with Klopp leaving Liverpool, he may well see this as a window to leave Manchester City, and with a vacancy at his old side, the timing could be perfect.
Ruben Amorim has long been linked with the world’s biggest clubs, and not only is he the ultimate positive breath of fresh air both on the pitch and in press conferences, his phenomenal use of Sporting CP’s academy will surely appeal to Barca.
Rafa Marquez is another former Barca star linked with the post, and he’s certainly got a chance as he continues to impress with the B team. Laporta made headlines when he went to visit the youth team late last year, and it was seen as a sign of encouragement to Marquez that the top job could be his in the future.
Michel is currently staging LaLiga’s Leicester with Girona, but the love story may be short-lived as he continues to impress the world’s top sides. An employee of City Group, the Spaniard has already seen as a future replacement for Guardiola, but if the current Man City boss doesn’t want to leave, Barca may have an open goal for the top young coaching talent in the country.
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