Fans of FC Barcelona are notoriously fickle when it comes to new managers, rarely giving them time to settle into the job before raising their white hankies in disapproval.
The parallels between a potential hire of Xavi and that of Pep Guardiola back in 2008 are striking too.
Joan Laporta was president of the club and a Dutchman, in this instance Frank Rijkaard, was in charge of the first team but was losing support.
Eventually, Laporta decided on Guardiola who, at that point, had only overseen Barca B on his fledgling managerial journey.
Not having won his first two matches, the knives were quickly out for Pep but his brand of football ensured that Barca went on to become the first team ever in Spain to win the treble, and then the first in the world to complete the sextuple.
Laporta sacked Ronald Koeman in the aftermath of a hugely disappointing performance at Rayo Vallecano, and reports – including this one from BBC Sport – indicate that Xavi will be his replacement.
Although Xavi has been managing Al-Sadd in Qatar since 2019, accumulating trophies and playing a pleasing style in so doing, with respect, the level isn’t probably too dissimilar to Barca’s reserve side when Pep was in charge.
The Catalans will clearly be hoping that the pupil can now become the master, but in order to do so, he has to be given time.
Without that, it’s a move destined to fail.
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