Barcelona Comments on the Prospect of Jurgen Klopp Becoming Xavi's Replacement, Could It Happen?

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Barcelona has recently been widely linked with Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp. The German tactician is predicted to be someone the Blaugrana are interested in replacing Xavi Hernandez at the club.

As is known, Xavi has indeed announced his resignation from the Spanish giants. The 44 year old coach chose to resign after Barca was beaten 3-5 by Villarreal in a LaLiga duel at home, Sunday (28/1/2024).

Meanwhile, Xavi himself was actually only appointed as the tactician for the Catalan giant club in November 2021. He led Barcelona to perform well in LaLiga until they emerged as champions for the 2022/2023 season with a difference of 10 points from fierce rivals Real Madrid.

As Malang enters the 2023/2024 campaign, the performance of its team has decreased. Barcelona has lost the opportunity to win two trophies after losing in the Spanish Super Cup final and being eliminated from the Copa del Rey.

The team made by Xavi Hernandez is also still having difficulty reaching the top of the Spanish League standings because they are in third place with a difference of eight points from Real Madrid at the top of the table.

This series of unfavorable situations ultimately encouraged Xavi to resign his position at Barcelona. The club's legendary former midfielder also openly admitted that his current job is hard and unpleasant.

Jurgen Klopp is said to be a replacement candidate

The news of Xavi's departure made Barcelona linked with a number of coaches who could potentially become successors. Thiago Motta, Rafael Marquez, and Roberto De Zerbi were once predicted to be suitable for occupying the Blaugrana hot seat.

Most recently, Jurgen Klopp's name was also included in the list of candidates for Barca's new tactician. Incidentally, the German coach will indeed be unemployed at the end of the season.

Klopp had previously announced his desire to end his 9 year tenure at Liverpool. Recent reports claim that Barcelona President Joan Laporta has started telling his trusted people at the club to try to persuade Jurgen Klopp to move to the Catalans.

Barcelona Sports Director Opens Voice

Barcelona Sports Director Deco recently opened his voice in response to rumors of his club's interest in Jurgen Klopp. He did not clearly deny this issue and instead praised the Liverpool tactician as a great coach.

"He's a great coach, but I don't think this is the right time to talk about that," Deco told La Vanguardia, as reported by Metro.

“The new coach will of course want to make changes, but first, we have to explain the project and ideas. "There are many options (to fill this position)," he continued.

Prospects for Other Candidates

Meanwhile, regarding the prospects of other candidates such as Thiago Motta and Rafa Marquez, Deco was also reluctant to talk much. He proudly admitted that he didn't follow his first name because he coached the Serie A team Bologna.

"I don't really follow Motta's work because he doesn't coach the Italian team that I usually watch," said Deco.

“I follow Marquez because he is here. He is a young coach who continues to thrive in the face of adversity. "Being here will make him a better coach," he added, quoted from Metro.