FC Barcelona is going through a period of institutional crisis. Between the disputed recruitment of Martin Braithwaite, the revelation of a case of campaign of discredit on the Web or even the position of Lionel Messi in front of the remarks of the technical secretary Éric Abidal, the club blaugrana does not stop being shaken internally. And the revelations of the Spanish radio, the Cadena SER, are likely to put a little more fuel on the fire.
Before handing over the reins of the first team to Quique Setién, to replace Ernesto Valderde, Barça thought of Xavi. A delegation from the Catalan club had even gone to Qatar to present their project to the old man of the house to convince him to take a seat on the Barça bench. “Yes, I received an offer from Barcelona in the presence of Abidal and sports director Oscar Grau, but I did not accept this offer. It is too early for me to coach Barcelona,” said the man during a press conference .
Bartomeu said no
A version then publicly denied by Abidal, claiming to have never made an official offer. This Friday, we learn a little more about this negotiation. The former star of Spanish football, now head of Al-Sadd, had set 8 conditions to accept the proposal. Xavi wanted to take office in June and not during the season. He wanted total control of the sports direction. He had asked for the signing of Carles Puyol and Jordi Cruyff. He wanted to have an eye on La Masia and the club’s training policy.
He had wanted the return of Joan Vila, a former Barça player, winner of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1979 and then coaching at La Masia, which he considers his mentor.
He also wanted to reshape Barça’s medical services and in particular replace the current head of the department. Finally, he had expressed the desire to integrate his brother Óscar Hernández into his staff.
When these 8 conditions were transmitted to Josep Maria Bartomeu, the latter swept the Xavi option aside, due to the urgency of the situation on the one hand and the many adjustments it would have supposed on the other hand.
So, was it finally Barça who said no to Xavi?
