FC Barcelona Has New Candidate To Succeed Xavi In Ex-Bayern Munich Boss Hansi Flick, Reports BILD – Forbes

Bayern Munich legend Hansi Flick has emerged as a candidate to succeed Xavi Hernandez as FC … [+] Barcelona head coach, according to BILD.
Former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Hansi Flick is a candidate to succeed Xavi Hernandez at the Montjuic Stadium according to BILD.
The German outlet’s head of football Christian Falk tweeted news of the development on X, less than 24 hours after Xavi announced he would be stepping aside from June 30 onwards.
That bombshell announcement was made following a 5-3 defeat Barca suffered against Villarreal, which practically ended their hopes of retaining the La Liga title won on Xavi’s watch last spring.
On Sunday afternoon, president Joan Laporta told the club’s official channels that he had accepted Xavi’s resignation because of his status as a Blaugrana legend.
But Laporta now has to pick the right man to take over in the dugout, whose potential success could convince members to vote him in for another four years when the next presidential election is held in 2025.
SPORT explained that Jurgen Klopp was once a “dream” potential appointment for Laporta, who is an admirer of the modern German school of coaches and their fast-paced brand of “heavy metal football” that has been Barca’s undoing in the Champions League on many occasions.
But with Klopp set to take a sabbatical after nine gruelling years at Liverpool, Laporta has reportedly turned his attention to a compatriot serial winner in Flick who oversaw the 8-2 humbling his treble-conquering Bayern Munich side inflicted on Barca in 2020.
According to BILD, Laporta approached Flick when dismissing Ronald Koeman in late 2021.
Failing to convince him to sign via a video chat, Laporta had to settle for Xavi instead as Flick went on to manage the German national team.
Later dismissed from that post, Flick is now available and could be tempted by one of the most high-profile jobs in football.
Some onlookers have doubts as to whether a midfield of Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Ilkay Gundogan could play Flick’s pressing style of football, with Gundogan the Germany captain when Flick was dismissed for a run of unflattering results.
Out of the other names thrown on the table, however, which include Rafa Marquez and Thiago Motta, he is certainly the most experienced and accomplished if Klopp is discarded.

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