A new manager will be leading FC Barcelona next season, as Xavi announced this past weekend that he’ll be stepping down, effective at the end of the season. We covered what Xavi has accomplished, hasn’t accomplished and what could be ahead for him between now and the end of the season, over at this link.
Here we’ll take a look at who could replace him this summer.
Mikel Arteta
Arsenal have to feel pretty good about being patient with Arteta right now. He got off to a rough start, but wow, has he really turned things around now. Would the San Sebastian native return to his home country?
In prioritizing their coaching search, do Barca focus on trying to hire one of the most successful apprentices of Pep Guardiola, one of their all-time most successful managers?
Roberto De Zerbi
Graham Potter was the first Brighton boss to get a big club job, but maybe it really is De Zerbi who is the true mastermind? After all, he is the guy who actually led the Seagulls to their first ever UEFA competition berth, not Potter.
De Zerbi has a style that fits in perfectly in Catalonia. He would make a pretty seamless transition to Barcelona. At least in theory.
Julian Nagelsmann
A solid choice, and an interesting one, considering what he’s had to say in the past about the Catalan Club’s ability to sign players despite never having money. It will all be forgotten if Barca
A.) spend on getting him and
B.) promise to back him with a transfer war chest.
Jose Mourinho
As evidenced by his sacking at AS Roma last week, and by how miserable his Tottenham tenure was, it’s clear that he’s lost a lot of velocity on his fastball. However, he is still a trophy accumulating machine who is currently available on the open market.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.