Barcelona icon Xavi Hernandez outlines plan for return to management

It has been almost seven months since Xavi Hernandez was sacked by Barcelona, and ever since, he has been taking a break from football. His idea has been to take a sabbatical year after a stressful spell in charge of the club he was associated with for 27 years, which is more than half of his life.

Xavi has been spending time with his family during these months away from football, and he has even stayed away from any public appearances. However, he has not been totally switched off, as he has been preparing for his return to management – according to Marca, that will happen in the summer.

As per the report, sources close to Xavi have stated that the 45-year-old has set his sights on his next job being for “a European club with aspirations and a medium-long term project”.

It’s been reported in recent months that Xavi has turned down numerous job offers during his sabbatical. As per MD, Manchester United approached him before the appointment of Ruben Amorim, while proposals have also arrived from Besiktas, Botafogo and the South Korean national team. He was even linked with the chance of managing former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.

Barcelona have moved on from Xavi, with Hansi Flick having delighted club officials and supporters alike with his bold style of play. He has already won his first trophy as manager in the Spanish Super Cup, which was achieved after a spectacular 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the final in Jeddah.

It remains to be seen where Xavi ends up once he does make his return to football management. He proved plenty during his time in charge of the Barcelona first team, so it would be no surprise if he was the subject of several offers when the summer rolls around.