Xavi in talks to take Barcelona job, Qatari club confirms

Doha (AFP) – Spanish great Xavi is in talks with his former club Barcelona to take over as coach, his current team, Qatar’s Al-Sadd said on Saturday.

Spanish media had earlier reported that Barcelona had asked former captain Xavi to take over from the under-pressure Ernesto Valverde.

“I will not deny that. There are negotiations about Xavi and everyone is talking about them… but I can say that Xavi so far is at Al-Sadd,” Muhammad Ghulam Al-Balushi, Al-Sadd’s sports director, told the Qatar-based BeIN broadcaster.

“The final decision is in the hands of Al-Sadd’s management, in the hands of the manager, and the hands of Barcelona’s management,” he added ahead of Al-Sadd’s weekend clash against Al-Rayyan.

World Cup winner Xavi, 39, came through the Catalans’ academy and played 855 senior games for the Camp Nou side.

He joined Al-Sadd as a player in 2015 before being appointed coach last July.

Valverde’s position is reportedly under threat after the Spanish Super Cup semi-final defeat by Atletico Madrid on Thursday.