November 06, (THEWILL) – Xavi Hernandez has been named Barcelona’s next head coach. Late Friday evening, the Camp Nou club acknowledged the return of their former player on Twitter.
According to Qatari sources, Barcelona paid a €5 million release clause required to bring their iconic midfielder back into the Catalan fold. This comes after the firing of former coach Ronald Koeman on Wednesday night.
“The Al Sadd administration has agreed on Xavi’s move to Barcelona after the payment of the release clause stipulated in the contract,” Al Sadd CEO, Turki Al-Ali, said confirming the move.
“We’ve agreed on cooperation with Barcelona in the future. Xavi is an important part of Al Sadd’s history and we wish him success.”
Following a humiliating 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano, Koeman was terminated of his duties as coach, having been in charge since summer 2020. His deal with the team was set to expire at the end of the 2020/2021 season.
Barcelona put Sergi Barjuan, their B team coach, in temporary command of the first team on Thursday, the day after Koeman was fired. Barjuan managed Alaves to a 1-1 draw and Dynamo Kyiv to a 1-0 victory.
Xavi rose through the ranks at La Masia in Barcelona, making his first-team debut in 1998. The 41-year-old made 767 appearances for his boyhood club over a 17-year career that saw him win eight La Liga crowns and four Champions League titles.
He later joined Al Sadd in 2015, where he made over 100 appearances and won one league title before retiring in 2019 and becoming manager. Xavi initially signed a two-year contract with Al Sadd, but in May, amid speculation about the Barcelona vacancy, he signed a two-year extension.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
