Xavi to Leave Blaugrana: Who Will be the Next Barcelona Manager?

It seems that the marriage between Xavi and Barcelona is coming to an end. After the most recent disappointment suffered at Blaugrana and the 5:3 loss to Villarreal, Xavi has decided to pull the anchor and leave the sinking ship behind. He will still remain until the end of the season but will be looking for other opportunities from there onward.

Immediately after the current Barcelona manager made such an announcement, questions started to emerge about who will be the next Barcelona manager. There are many candidates for the job. But there are even more questions about which one of them could fit the Barca playing style.

Luis Enrique

One of the first names to emerge was the one of the current PSG coach and former Blaugrana manager, Luis Enrique. After unsuccessfully leading the Spanish national team, Luis Enrique joined the ranks of the Parisians. However, we can’t really say that he is managing them with the success that Nasser Al-Khelaifi would like them to be.

We can’t really say what Luis Enrique’s future in Paris is going to be like. But if it comes to an abrupt end, that Catalan giant will be one of the top teams on his list. He has already led Blaugrana to two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies, and a Champions League win. The fans at Barca will be happy to see a familiar face back in their ranks.

Roberto de Zerbi

The current Brighton manager, Roberto de Zerbi, is one of the top candidates to become Barcelona next manager. The talented Italian has made his name by helping the Seagulls finish 6th in the Premier League last season. Leading them to their best EPL result in history.

He has shown that he can take a bunch of unknowns and make them into superstars. Not only that, he has the results to back him up. It would be interesting to see if he can hold his own in a club of the magnitude of Barcelona. He doesn’t really have the pedigree that the past managers of Barcelona had. But he certainly has the grit to do it.

Rafael Marquez

The former Barca legend, Rafael Marquez, who has made over 150 appearances for the club, is the current coach of their youth team. As such, he has helped a lot of current Barcalone youngsters break into the first team. Therefore, it would be interesting to see him reunite with the players he helped promote into the senior ranks.

However, if appointed, this would be Marquez’s first major managerial position. He has never coached a senior side team. It would be a massive gamble if they decide to appoint him. On the other hand, it would be a natural transition for him to become the head coach of the team he gave so much to.