Exclusive: Former Chelsea manager not offered himself to Barca as Xavi successor
The Barcelona managerial situation has been the subject of speculation ever since Xavi Hernandez announced that he would be stepping down as head coach at the end of the season. Club bosses won’t rush into making a decision, although there has been plenty of noise over the last two weeks.
Barca Atletic coach Rafael Marquez and Bologna’s Thiago Motta have both been linked with the position, although as Fabrizio Romano has told Caught Offside in his exclusive column, neither are in line to be a serious candidate. The same can be said for Antonio Conte, who reportedly offered himself to Barcelona in recent days.
“I’m told it’s not true that Antonio Conte has been offered to the club as a candidate to be their next manager. At the moment there is nothing ongoing between Conte and Barca, it’s all quiet. The same is true with Thiago Motta – he is not in the frame for the job at the moment, he’s going to stay in Italy and work in Italy next season. It’s also completely quiet with Rafael Marquez.”
Romano also addressed the ongoing speculation surrounding Hansi Flick, who has emerged as a leading contender for the Barcelona job.
“With Hansi Flick, I’m told he would be super happy to come to Barca, he’s super open to this possibility. But it’s on Barca – Laporta and Deco have to decide who is the manager they want, and at the moment they have not made a decision, it will still be some time before we know the new Barca coach.”
There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns on the Barcelona managerial situation over the coming months. One thing for certain is that Xavi is not considering staying on in the role, despite an upturn in form over the last couple of weeks.
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