As the FC Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is set to step down from his role after the completion of the ongoing season, he talked about his possible replacement on Tuesday.
The Catalan-based club have struggled to deliver results recently as they have lost three matches in their previous five encounters, including a 4-1 loss against their arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. In the ongoing season, Barcelona stands in fourth place in the standings with 44 points by their name after winning 13 of their 21 matches. The 44-year-old asserted that Rafa Marques is preparing him for the role, rest of it depends on Deco and the president. "Rafa (Marquez) is my friend, he is preparing to coach the Barca first team one day and it is legal. The rest is the job of [sporting director] Deco and the president," Xavi was quoted as saying by Goal.com. Marquez is a former Barcelona player who played at Camp Nou from 2003 to 2010, and he currently coaches the club's B squad, which competes in the third tier of the Spanish league system. Xavi further stated that I am proud of what I have done as a manager for Barcelona. He also said that it was his dream to manage a club like Barcelona. "The same thing will happen to him as to Guardiola or me. This is the problem: it will happen to him. My advice is to be natural, to do what you feel and not to let yourself be influenced. That's what I've done and I'm proud. My dream was to coach Barcelona, play good football and win. And it has been achieved. Not this season, but I leave with a very clear conscience," the former Spain international added. (ANI)
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