Barcelona have confirmed that Xavi Hernandez has been relieved of his duties after a little over two and a half years in charge of the club. Former Bayern Munich and Germany manager Hansi Flick is set to come in and replace him.
There was significant debate over who should succeed Xavi, with a paucity of options. Barca Atletic coach Rafael Marquez were the two top candidates, but Flick has won the battle for the job. Matteo Moretto has outlined some of the reasons for that decision.
First and foremost, the strong relationship between Flick’s agent Pini Zahavi was one of the chief factors that influenced the decision. In terms of Flick himself, the club felt he was more prepared to handle a big job like Barcelona, having dealt with the pressure at Bayern Munich, and won a number of trophies.
🚨 JUST IN: Hansi Flick's entourage has CONFIRMED the agreement with Barcelona. @AdriaAlbets, @santiovalle
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Flick also has more experience of dealing with big personalities in the dressing room and will impose discipline on the squad, something Barcelona clearly feel is necessary. In addition to those factors, Flick impressed Deco in talks on Thursday, with the sporting director rumoured to be backing Marquez for the job.
The 59-year-old is expected to sign a one-year deal with Barcelona, with an option to extend it for a further season. Flick will try to recover from a poor spell as German national team coach in order to recover some of his past glory with Bayern. Flick has reportedly been preparing for the Barcelona job since January.
