Barcelona coaching candidates: who can replace Rafa Marquez, Thiago Motta, Michel and Xavi

In less than 24 hours, two top managerial jobs have opened up in football Javi Hernandez announces he will step down barcelona Manager till 30th June. This comes after Jurgen Klopp is also stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the Premier League season, Although these two top jobs are open, the candidates for them are quite different as Barcelona is not only a slightly less attractive destination, but also needs a manager who can oversee somewhat of a rebuild unlike the Liverpool side who are already He is ready to win.

After Xavi emerged as a club legend less than a season after winning the La Liga title, it is vital that the next hire is right. Barcelona do not have a successful season without silverware and there is also the possibility of a return to Camp Nou in November once the construction project on Barcelona’s historic stadium is completed.

Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho are managers on the market who have achieved their fair share of silverware, but neither are managers who can see Barcelona through this period of turmoil. Conte is a demanding manager who requires complete coordination with the board and also likes to spend large sums of money on older players to help the team win.

While this is a way of working, it is not the careful management of bringing in youth that is valued by Barcelona and that is before Joan Laporta and Conte would get potential transfers if the Italian were put in charge. With Xavi already not receiving as much support as he should have, it will only be a matter of time before public disagreement diverts attention.

When it comes to Mourinho, there is one small issue to deal with. Only two managers have managed Barcelona and both real Madrid During his career, Enrique Fernandez And Radomir Antic. Each of them were in very different times of football and it does not seem that the solution to stability at Barcelona is to bring in a manager who won almost everything there is to win with Real Madrid. But after considering why some of the most accomplished free agent managers would rather not be in charge of Barcelona, ​​let’s look at who should be on Barcelona’s shortlist.

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Favorite: Thiago thick

currently in charge bologna In Serie A, the former Barcelona midfielder has come within striking distance of a European place through careful tactics where sometimes just one goal is enough. individual talent of joshua zirczy Motta has helped the team reach new heights but it is Motta’s practicality that puts the young Dutchman in the best position to succeed. Imagine those strategic wrinkles while being Rafinha And joao felix And with Motta at his disposal Barcelona could revive or crash and burn.

The biggest concern surrounding Motta’s appointment is that although he understands Barcelona’s ethos, will the pressure of managing a club like Barcelona be too much for him? Motta’s last stop is here genoa And Spezia Were not exactly brilliant and with the eyes of the world on you, a bad spell at Barcelona can sink a manager. Zavi had to struggle to deal with public pressures several times, but manage them and protect the players from them is part of the work that a manager usually does not experience until they either go into the European race. Do not go or reach the hot seat. First time in a big club.

Hard to find option: Andoni Ierola

After doing extraordinary work with rayo vallecanoIrola received Premier League call to join bournemouth, Early on, it seemed like he was struggling to adjust England But soon, he found his footing and made smart signings to inspire the Cherries to play exciting football. like the improvement of players dominic solanke There has also been a bright spot under Ierola and no matter the stature of the opposition – he has prepared the Cherries well to take on the challenge.

The problem is that Iraola has only been with Bournemouth since the summer, so based on his contract with them, Barcelona would need to pay a buyout if this is the direction they want to go. For a club that is trying to curb spending, this may not be the easiest sell as Bournemouth will not want to lose their man so soon.

A possible option: Michelle

But girona, Michel is getting peak performances from players that many had never heard of before his arrival and while the defense can be very open at times, when you score as many goals as we do at Verona, that’s OK. Is. A good example of Mitchell’s efficient strategy is his performance Artem Dovbyk, The Ukrainian are dominant in the air and are joint top in the La Liga golden boot race after a seamless transition to the team from Dnipro-1. The aggression with which Verona plays will be welcomed at Barcelona, ​​where the football has been poor at times this season. Being a member of City’s football group system, Michel had more experience than most managers in his similar position. In December, Verona defeated Barca 4–2.

Man of the house: Rafa Marquez

Currently managing Barcelona B, one of the easiest things Barcelona could do is to elevate Márquez’s role. Having managed in the club system as well as playing alongside Xavi, Márquez is familiar with the sporting director deco and Laporta which will allow a smooth working relationship. But similar to Xavi’s appointment, almost everything about the football side will be unknown. The advantage of having so many teenagers playing for Barcelona at the moment is that they have come through Márquez’s system, but that does not mean he can manage at the top. This would be a very risky decision.

Other options: Francisco Javier García Pimienta, marcelo Gallardo

las palmas This season has been one of La Liga’s best stories and Francisco Javier García Pimienta has been at the center of it. Like others on this list, he’s someone who doesn’t have a ton of club experience, but if you’re catching a trend, it would be hard for Barcelona to add a manager with that experience in their current situation. Las Palmas’ defense has been strong but this is more due to the exceptional performances of goalkeeper Álvaro Vallés. Their 12.12 goals conceded is the top number in La Liga by eight goals, which would say that 19 goals conceded by the ninth-placed club is far from sustainable long-term, so with a move elsewhere, they may need to follow Wallace. May be required.

In Gallardo’s case, his managerial situation is strange. The 48-year-old developed some of the world’s top talents such as Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez with River Plate in Argentina, but when he resigned from managing the club in December of 2022, it seemed that would be Gallardo’s fate. There was a top job or something that didn’t happen. He then spent almost a year at Al-Ittihad before replacing Nuno Espirito Santo, where he managed nine games. If any club wanted to lure him away from the Saudi Pro League, it could be possible.