Former Barcelona skipper and superstar Xavi Hernandez has lifted the lid on his plan to return to his old club as a manager. The ex-Spain international has revealed that he is arming himself with all he needs to know as a coach while maintaining optimism to reunite with his old club in the near future.
Xavi left Camp Nou in 2015 to bring to an end a 15-year senior career stint by joining Qatari side Al-Sadd. In his stay with the Catalans, the 2010 World Cup winner made 767 appearances - the most by any player in the history of the club - and scored 85 goals in the process. He won a total of 25 trophies in his illustrious career, eight of which were La Liga titles and four from the UEFA Champions League.
Following his retirement in 2019, Xavi has taken over Al-Sadd as the full-time manager and is slowly rising as one of the coaches to watch considering his recent accomplishments with the club. The exploits of the retired midfielder saw him being offered the opportunity to manage affairs in the dugout at Barca after Ernesto Valverde was sacked. However, the former Spanish international turned down the opportunity as it came "too soon" in his coaching career and his former club eventually settled for Quique Setien.
In a recent interview with renowned journalist Gianluca DiMarzio, Xavi revealed that he is still keen on managing Barcelona in the near future. He further discussed the possibility of Neymar Jr and Lauturo Martinez joining the club.
"I want to be a coach. Once I prove myself when I am capable, coming back to Barcelona may be an illusion, but it would be a dream I have said many times that I consider Barca my home, my life.
"I am learning a lot as a coach in Qatar. Obviously coaching Barca is a different story, it requires a lot of preparation. It is a process and I hope that one day it could happen.
"Neymar returning? Why not. He's top 5 in the world, there are no doubts over his play. I like Lautaro Martinez, who doesn't? He's establishing himself, from deep, playing in space, and in tight areas.
"He gets away from defenders well, provides passing options, can play well in open or tight spaces. Barcelona is right to be interested in signing him."
