Xavi Hernández's ideal destiny
The technician, who has accumulated two years without coaching, prioritizes a selection in club football
BarcelonaIt has rained since that January 27, 2024, when, after being thrashed (3-5) against Villarreal at Montjuïc, Xavi Hernández hit rock bottom and announced in the post-match press conference that "at the end of the season he would say goodbye to the bench". There were still twists and turns to come, such as the "night of sushi at Joan Laporta's house, a press conference in tears from the president to ratify him in his position and yet another final theatrical twist to fire him at the end of the season. The formerblaugrana footballer and former coach ended up parting ways with Laporta and his main advisor, Alejandro Echevarría, who, although in 2021 he was the main proponent of his return, the coach also considers him one of the architects of his dismissal. Basically, he felt betrayed.
Since then, the Terrassa-born coach has not managed any team. Before knowing that he would be fired, he was clear that "either he continued at Barça or he would take a sabbatical year", according to sources consulted by ARA. In the end, Xavi has accumulated two seasons without coaching, although along the way he has received interest from various clubs. Among the first, when it became known that he would not continue at Barça, were Ajax, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Milan, clubs that made changes on the bench and inquired about the intentions of various coaches, including that of the Terrassa-born coach, as this newspaper already reported.Xavi, however, had decided that after the demands of the experience at Barça – which he lived on edge because it is the club of his loves – he needed, on the one hand, to stop and rest – between his playing career and his time as a coach he had not stopped for more than two decades – and on the other hand, he did not want to leave Barcelona.
This second factor is decisive for understanding where his future will lie: the coach does not want to leave the Catalan capital, where he is focused on his family, on raising his two children, and where his closest circle also is. This decision, focused on the most personal sphere, means that if he does not receive an offer from a club that excites him almost as much as coaching Barça did, which has not happened so far, he remains away from club football.
The challenge that motivates Xavi Hernández now is to coach a national team
"A club coach has a lot of stress, it's difficult to manage family matters. I would like to test myself in a national team. I would like to have more time to prepare things, more time for family, to participate in a World Cup, a European Championship or, why not, an Africa Cup...", he said in an interview in March to La Vanguardia. Xavi is motivated to coach a national team, "prioritizing the sporting project over the economic aspect", his entourage states.
South Korea already tried it in 2024,Xavi, however, did not want to take the reins of the Moroccan team with so little preparation time before the 2026 World Cup. The coach's intention is to start a project from scratch and with long-term planning. That is, leading the new World Cup cycle from 2026 to 2030, when, moreover, the African country, along with Spain and Portugal, will host the next World Cup. For now, Mohamed Ouahbi is the coach of Morocco after having led the under-20 team. It will be this Belgian of Moroccan parents who will lead the senior team in the World Cup, and he has a contract with the North African country's federation until 2030.
Why is Morocco an option that would excite Xavi Hernández?
Ouahbi's performance in the World Cup will determine if Morocco's bench remains vacant after the tournament. Should this door reopen, it is a project that would appeal to Xavi for several reasons: he considers that they have an attractive sporting project with a focus on the 2030 World Cup, with a generation of young bronze medalists from the recent Olympic Games, a U-20 team world champion, and top-level facilities in Rabat.
Despite his departure from Barça, Xavi's figure remains respected. And Morocco's objective is to continue promoting the growth of football in the country after the significant progress made in recent years. Xavi would fit in because they consider him a coach with a good eye for continuing to promote young talents. At Barça, Balde consolidated under his leadership, and he debuted Cubarsí and Fermín – giving them confidence and continuity – in addition to being the coach with whom Lamine Yamal made the leap to the first team.
South Korea had already shown interest in him
Morocco's is a good option, but Xavi, who "is motivated to return to coaching but will only do so in a project that seduces him", according to his environment, is open to listening to more proposals after the World Cup. It is not the first time that a national team has shown interest in him: South Korea already sounded him out in 2024, when the Korean federation dismissed Jürgen Klinsmann after the elimination against Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Cup. Xavi was still coaching Barça at the time and was clear that he would either continue for another season as a Blaugrana or take a sabbatical year. Now he could return to the benches depending on what happens at the World Cup.
