“The administration agreed on the transfer of Xavi to Barcelona after paying the penalty clause stipulated in the contract. We agreed with Barcelona on practical cooperation in the future, Xavi is an important part of Al Sadd’s history. We wish him every success in the next stage “
With those words, Turki Al-Ali, CEO of Al-Sadd, announced the agreement for the Spanish technical director to become the replacement for Ronald Koeman in the next few hours. “Xavi informed us a few days ago of his desire to go to Barcelona at this specific time, due to the critical stage that the club in his city is going through, and we understand this and decided not to get in his way,” added the president.
In this way, the second player who wore the Barca shirt the most times (behind Lionel Messi) will take the reins of a team with an irregular walk and very little effectiveness facing the goal. The Catalan coach arrives from Al-Sadd in Qatar, the club where he last played before hanging up his boots and where he made his debut as a coach.
Moments after the departure of the Dutch coach was made official, Joan Laporta had practically praised the historic former midfielder. However, it still remained to negotiate with the Asian team to let DT go.
During his time at Al Sadd, Xavi Hernández has won seven titles since his arrival on the bench in 2019 (Qatar Super Cup, 2 Prince’s Cups, League Cup, 2 Emir Cups and a local championship). In addition, it accumulates 61 victories, 12 draws, and 16 defeats in 89 games.
Former captain blaugrana He will arrive with his sports staff, made up of his brother Óscar and Sergio Alegre, as assistants, and Iván Torres, as a physical trainer. David Prats and Toni Lobo will also join as technical analysts, work they did together with the Catalan during their stay in Qatar.
His official debut could be on November 20, in what will be the Catalan derby against Espanyol. It is worth remembering that he left his mark as a footballer: he won 25 titles (including four Champions League) since his presentation in 1998 and defended the colors of Barcelona for 17 seasons. He then moved to Al-Sadd, where he played for three years before retiring and taking over as coach.
News in development …
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