Two candidates emerge as frontrunners for Barcelona reserve team coaching job – report

Earlier this week, Barcelona were rocked by the news of Rafa Marquez’s departure. The former defender has vacated his position as Barça Atletic’s head coach as he has accepted a new role with the Mexican national team.

Marquez’s departure will serve as a big blow for Barcelona as the Mexican tactician was instrumental in the rapid growth of players like Marc Bernal and Pau Cubarsi, during their time in the reserve team.

With Marquez gone, Barcelona must immediately find someone who can replace him to become the coach of Barça’s reserve team – a crucial bridge between La Masia and the senior side.

Two candidates for Marquez’s role

According to Mundo Deportivo, there are two options that are currently gaining weight as far as the vacancy in Barça Atletic is concerned.

While Barça have been linked with names such as Oscar Garcia, Lluis Carreras and Gabri in recent days, one of the favourites to take on Marquez’s role is interim coach Albert Sanchez.

The 37-year-old was essentially the right-hand man for Marquez at Barça Atletic and there is no reason why he shouldn’t become the head coach of the reserve team.

The report suggests Barcelona are looking for someone with deep knowledge of La Masia, which makes Sanchez an even more appealing candidate.

Another leading candidate in Barcelona’s bid to replace Rafa Marquez is Natxo Gonzalez. Aged 57, Natxo is a much more experienced alternative to Albert Sanchez.

During his career, Natxo has coached clubs like Malaga, Real Zaragoza and Deportivo La Coruna. However, the Spaniard has been a free agent since February 2023, when he left as the manager of UD Logrones.

As per the report, Natxo enjoys the support of club president Joan Laporta, though that does not necessarily guarantee his arrival at Barça.