Barcelona name club legend Xavi as manager

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Barcelona on Saturday appointed club legend Xavi Hernandez as their new manager.

"Xavi Hernandez is the new FC Barcelona coach. FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi for him to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons," the club said in a statement.

Barca also welcomed the 41-year-old Spanish manager on Twitter.

It added that Xavi is expected to arrive in Barcelona this weekend as he left Qatar’s Al Sadd on Friday, and is scheduled for a public appearance as the club's new manager at Camp Nou Stadium on Monday.

On Oct. 28, Barcelona named Sergi Barjuan the senior team's interim manager just a day after the dismissal of his Dutch colleague Ronald Koeman.

Known for his passing and playmaking skills in central midfield, he played 767 matches for Barcelona over 17 years in the first team (1998-2015), during which he scored 85 goals and produced 185 assists.

A pure Barcelona product, Xavi won 25 major trophies with the club during this period, including eight Spanish La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues titles before a short spell in Qatar prior to his retirement in 2019.

Xavi coached Al Sadd since his bowing out as a player in 2019.

Separately, he was also one of the integral parts of the Spanish national team, as he helped his native Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.