Club Legend Xavi Hernandez Returns To Barcelona As First Team Coach.

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez will return to the Camp Nou as first team coach.

The Spanish giants announced his appointment late on Friday evening after agreeing a deal to secure his return, ending weeks of speculation.

He’ll arrive in Catalunya today after signing until June 2024. 

The former midfielder returns to his boyhood club, with whom he spent 17 trophy-laden years as a player and won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

Barcelona confirmed that Xavi will arrive in Spain this weekend ahead of an official unveiling as the new first team coach on Monday, 8 November. The event, held at Camp Nou, will be open to the public and will be followed by a press conference in the Ricard Maxenchs press room. 

His return of a favourite son to Camp Nou, arguably one of the greatest midfield maestro is expected to win back the support of some fans who have become disillusioned with the poor performances of the post-Messi Barcelona era.

His 767 appearances for the senior team were a record until he was surpassed recently by Leo Messi (778). In his 17 years in the first team (1998 to 2015), he won 25 major trophies.

A club statement read: “FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi Hernández for him to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons. Xavi Hernández, a youth team product at Barça, has left his current club, Al-Sadd of Qatar, after talks held over the last few days with the owners of the club.”

Xavi replaces another Barca legend, Ronald Koeman, who was sacked last week after a poor run of form which culminated in an embarrassing 1-0 defeat at the hands of newly-promoted Rayo Vallecano.

The Blaugrana side were reportedly forced to pay a €5 million release clause to secure Xavi’s return despite being in a desperate financial position, the club felt they had no choice but to dispense with the service of Koeman and pay off the remainder of his contract.

Earlier on Friday, Xavi Hernández, a youth team product at Barça, has left his current club, Al-Sadd of Qatar, after talks held over the last few days with the owners of the club

Al-Sadd CEO Turki Al-Ali : “The Al-Sadd administration has agreed on Xavi’s move to Barcelona after the payment of the release clause stipulated in the contract.”

Speaking on his appointment as new Barcelona manager Xavi said: “Camp Nou has always been my home. Barcelona fans are my people, mi genta. Barça, the club I love. And now I’m back home. See you soon, Barcelona”. 

Xavi played out the final years of his career at Al-Sadd in Qatar, and after hanging up his boots in 2019, he became the team coach. He’d only been in the position for a few months when he won the Qatari Super Cup, and also led the team to the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League.

In total, he coached the team to seven different trophies, three of them in 2021.