Former Barcelona star midfielder Xavi Hernandez won’t take over the club as a manager at the end of the season as it was previously speculated. Instead, Xavi inked a one-year extension that will see him manage Qatar club Al-Sadd for at least one more year.
Barca tried to lure Xavi back to Spain in January, but the 40-year-old Spaniard decided to reject the opportunity as he felt that the timing isn’t right. It was reported that the Catalan club will make another attempt this summer after new manager Quique Setien failed to meet the expectations, but it appears that one will be also unsuccessful.
“I am happy to continue with Al-Sadd, and the team’s goal will always be to compete for all titles,” said Xavi after signing the new deal. “[My] complete focus in this current period is to fully equip the players for the upcoming domestic and Asian competitions.”
Xavi is considered to be Barca legend after he spent the first 20 years of his career at the club and helped La Liga side win 25 trophies. He also captained the club from 2012 to 2015, when he joined Al-Sadd.
Xavi spent four years with Al-Sadd as a player and then took over as the club’s manager immediately after retiring from professional soccer in 2019. So far, he managed to win Qatari Cup and Qatari Super Cup during his time at the helm.
