Thomas Tuchel hints at interest in Barcelona job
Xavi is set to leave the Catalan giants at the end of the season after he announced his decision following Sunday's 5-3 defeat to Villarreal.
The 44-year-old has come under scrutiny following an inconsistent campaign, which has taken a turn for the worse in the last two matches.
The loss to Villarreal followed an extra-time defeat against Athletic Bilbao in Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final tie at San Mames.
With fourth-placed Barcelona currently 11 points adrift of top spot in La Liga, their only realistic chance of winning a trophy this season is by going all the way in the Champions League.
While Xavi will hope to oversee a successful end to his tenure, the search is already underway to find his successor.
Barcelona Atletic coach Rafael Marquez has expressed an interest in the role, while Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Julian Nagelsmann have reportedly been included in a three-man shortlist as potential replacements for Xavi.
Tuchel has seemingly thrown his hat into the ring after the 50-year-old spoke highly of the Spanish top flight at a Bayern club event in Heidenheim.
The Bayern boss said: «Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league. From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterised by a tremendous amount of self-confidence.
»When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person."
Tuchel's comments come amid some scrutiny surrounding his own position as Bayern head coach, with the Bavarians currently behind Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race.
Despite trailing Xabi Alonso
Read on sportsmole.co.uk
