After Xavi unexpectedly announced that he would step down as Barcelona manager on June 30, Gavi quickly paid tribute to him on social **: "Always with you, coach. "A month on, there is still a new manager left vacant on the bench at Barca. In order to fill this gap, Barça's sporting director Deco began to actively gather information on possible candidates. Among them, compatriot Ruben Amorim, who is currently coaching Sporting Portugal, is prominently listed.
At the same time, various agents are also shuttling in the shadows to build bridges for candidate coaches. In particular, Sergio Conceição, who coached Porto for seven seasons, was highly sought after by Jorge Mendes. Moreover, several key players in the Barcelona squad, including Balde, Lamine Yamal, as well as Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix and Ansu Fati, have been targets of Conceição. Barcelona are going all out to find a coach for the team who can lead them to new glories.
Among the many candidates, German football representative Hans Flick showed great appeal to the president because of his excellent coaching skills and deep knowledge of the game. He has developed a close working relationship with well-known agent Pini Zahavi, who is close to Laporta and managed to broker the important deal of Lewandowski to Barca in the summer of 2022.
Last Saturday, Zahavi appeared in the Montjuic box for a spectacular match against Getafe and an in-depth meeting with the chairman. Undoubtedly, the Israeli was on hand to witness one of Barca's best battles of the season – four goals and one goal difference – a testament to the quality and potential of the team.
Since Xavi's departure, Barcelona have gone six unbeaten runs (four wins, two draws) and are moving towards a stronger future through clever tactical adjustments.
That's the paradox in Barcelona. Although Barcelona are actively looking for a new coach, the current coach has not only successfully defended the league title, but also won the trust of many important players in the dressing room, and has made significant achievements in the development of young players. Gavi (born 2004) and Balde (born 2003) did not make their debuts under Xavi's direction, but were the credit of Koeman. However, it was under Xavi's leadership that they cemented their place in the first team, earning a jersey number and an important role. Despite both suffering long-term injuries and undergoing surgery**, the Traraza now has five young players with great potential, including Lamine Yamal (born 2007), Kubasi (born 2007), Hector Fort (born 2006) and Marc Gieu (born 2006). Then there's Fermín (born 2003), who spent his loan spell at Linares and then brought him back from his troubles, once again showing his vision and ability to develop young players.
Had it not been for Xavi, who has a La Masia background, at the helm, it would have been difficult for these five talented young players to break into the ranks of the first team at such a young age. Let's remember that in November 2021, Xavi made his debut at the Camp Nou with the audacity of eight homegrown players. Former Germany coach Flick won two Bundesliga, one UEFA Champions League, one Club World Cup and one UEFA Super Cup during his two-year spell at Bayern, and he promoted young talents such as Musiala, Stanišić and Žilky. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that Barça's sporting management will take these key details into account when selecting a new coach to ensure the continued prosperity and success of the team in the future.