- Xavi announced in January that he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season
- Gerard Pique opined on who should replace his former teammate as manager
- The damage has already been done. Even winning against Liverpool cannot save Ten Hag It all starts podcast
Former Barcelona star Gerard Pique has spoken out about who should succeed Xavi as manager of the Catalan club next season.
After hanging up his boots in 2019, Xavi took over at Qatari side Al Sadd before returning to Camp Nou when he was appointed Barca boss in 2021.
The 44-year-old claimed his first silverware as the club’s manager last season, winning La Liga with a 10-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid despite the club being plagued by financial uncertainty.
However, this season has proven less successful for the Blaugrana, and despite his side remaining in contention in Europe, Xavi announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Speaking about who he believes is the candidate best suited to replace his former teammate in the hot-seat, Pique named two current Premier League managers as potential front-runners.
Gerard Pique wondered who will replace Xavi as Barcelona boss at the end of the season
Pique and Xavi enjoyed several successes together as players, with the former hanging up his boots during Xavi’s reign at the Catalan club.
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“To manage Barcelona you have to be a specific type of coach and understand the way Barça play, so the options are much fewer,” Pique said. The times.
‘The obvious ones are (Pep) Guardiola, because he had his past here, and he is the best coach at the moment, and (Mikel) Arteta. He would be a good one too. He understands Barcelona and has played for Barcelona in the past.’
After Xavi announced his impending departure, the Spanish media claimed that Arteta had told his backroom staff at the Emirates that he could take the job.
However, the Arsenal boss dismissed the claims ahead of the club’s clash with Nottingham Forest in January.
Pique noted that the ‘obvious’ choices for Barça are Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola
‘That’s totally fake news. I don’t know where it came from and it’s completely untrue. I’m really angry about it.
‘I could not believe it. It has no source. There’s nothing in it and I think we have to be very careful when you talk about personal things.’
