Xavi says "yes" to Barca

Former Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez has said he hopes to return to the Spanish club as head coach when the timing is right and that his technical team is already preparing for it, Report says.

Spanish media had reported that Xavi, who coaches Qatari club Al Sadd, had been approached by Barca to replace Ernesto Valverde before Quique Setien.

“The biggest hope I have now is to be Barca coach and get Barca back to winning ways,” Spanish daily Sport quoted Xavi as saying in a video call where the 40-year-old outlined his plans for the future.

“I’m a club man. I want to return at the right moment to start a project from zero. I’ve said it a lot of times, but I want to make footballing decisions in Barcelona,” he added. “It’s clear that after the elections, the stage would be set, of course. I’m not ruling anything out.

The Catalan national team president, Josep Bartomeu, consulted with the players before talks with Xavi.

Notably, Xavi Hernandez played for Barcelona from 1998 to 2015. The former footballer of the Spanish national team won various titles at the club.