FC Barcelona Considering Head Coach Xavi Hernandez Contract Renewal

FC Barcelona are considering extending head coach Xavi Hernandez’s contract, according to a report.

The legendary midfielder took over the reins from Ronald Koeman in November 2021. After initial teething problems, he now has the Catalans on the brink of their first La Liga title in four years with records such as the least amount of goals conceded and becoming the third 100-point season team in history well within reach.

Xavi also broke a two-year club trophy drought by claiming the Spanish Super Cup final in roaring fashion. This was achieved through a 3-1 pummeling of Real Madrid in Riyadh last month, with MVP Gavi leading the way with a goal and two assists.

Xavi’s side have reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals as well, and are still in the Europa League thanks to a thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester United last week with the second leg left to play on Thursday.

Though president Joan Laporta will apparently wait for the end of the season to head to the negotiation table, it has been claimed by SPORT that he intends to offer Xavi a contract extension.

Xavi has one more year left on the contract he signed in the autumn of 2021, but top brass clearly intend on keeping him around.

“Nobody imagines a Barca without Xavi. We are happy to have him with us and I hope he will continue here for many more years,” sporting director Mateu Alemany recently said.

Providing Barca don’t slip up in La Liga, renewing the former number ‘6’ in the dugout should be pretty much a formality and is the right way to go.

Xavi is a club man through and through who bleeds Blaugrana. Not only has he returned Barca to winning ways, but he also has them playing good football again and has tightened up a defense that used to leak goals and squander leads like nobody’s business.

Laporta should have taken a punt on him sooner and fired Koeman in the summer that preceded the 2021/2022 season, but all that is water under the bridge now – at least between Laporta and Xavi, anyway.

Though Xavi will probably be thrilled to extend, however, his results in the Champions League – where he has never managed to pass the group phase thus far – must improve.