Pundit makes bold claim: Messi should replace Xavi at Barcelona

It is already determined that Xavi Hernandez will relinquish his post as manager of Barcelona next season. After that, the club will have a new manager. Ex-Premier League player turned English commentator has suggested an intriguing possibility to replace him.

In Xavi’s first full season as manager of the club where he spent much of his career, Barça won the La Liga and the Super Cup. However, this year the squad is quickly falling backward.

When it comes to the fight for the championship, they are ten points behind Real Madrid and Girona. To make it worse, Athletic Bilbao knocked them out of the Copa del Rey, and they lost 4-1 to Madrid in the Super Cup final.

If the Catalan giants don’t perform a miracle and win the UEFA Champions League—a trophy they haven’t seen since 2015—they will go trophyless.

Who did Danny Murphy pick as Barcelona’s next manager?

After the difficult 5-3 loss to Villarreal last weekend, Xavi acknowledged he would be leaving in a news conference. The 44-year-old said the club needs a change because he has hit a wall and can no longer continue leading them.

As soon as the Spaniard announced his summer resignation, rumors began to circulate about who would replace him. Media outlets have speculated on several candidates, one of them being Jurgen Klopp. The German also announced that he would depart Liverpool at the season’s conclusion.

Then, another name entered the race: Mikel Arteta’s. According to Spanish media, he had already told Arsenal he was planning to leave the club after the current season.

But both parties swiftly put an end to the allegations, with Arteta calling it “fake news” and his team expressing their “upsetting” feelings about them. Either way, the Blaugrana executives are already planning for next season.

Thus, Danny Murphy, a former Liverpool midfielder, thinks there’s one option who jumps out. The 46-year-old retired midfielder said he would hire Lionel Messi while discussing possible candidates for the position.

“I’d give it to Messi. The fans are on board straight away. Everything he touches turns to gold. He was put on this earth to do amazing things. It’s not going to stop in management”, he said on talkSPORT.

Messi has no intention of replacing Xavi at Barcelona

Messi may be one of the all-time greats on the football field, but how effective he can be in coaching is an open question. Still a player with Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer, the Argentine has never managed a club before.

But, when asked about his retirement plans, he said he had no interest in managing. A position as a sports director, he said, would better suit his interests.

“I don’t really intend to be a coach, but [former Real Madrid coach Zinedine] Zidane said exactly that and after that, he became a coach and won the Champions League three times. I like sporting director, team building, and accompanying coaches but I’m not entirely sure either”, the veteran said in an interview with Star+ last year.

Messi is still highly esteemed at Barcelona, thus the second job looks to be his most probable fate should he return.

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