Xavi left red-faced over final message as Man Utd links intensify with Erik ten Hag sacked

With Manchester United relieving brag Erik 10 Hag from his duties, erstwhile Barcelona manager Xavi has emerged arsenic a starring enactment to regenerate the Dutchman

Ex-Barcelona brag Xavi’s connection to his successor, Hansi Flick, hasn’t aged good amidst suggestions the Spaniard could go Manchester United’s adjacent imperishable boss.

Xavi, La Blaugrana’s 2nd all-time top appearance-maker down Lionel Messi, returned to the nine helium kitted retired 767 times for successful 2021, looking to get them backmost connected way aft a comparatively dismal spell nether Ronald Koeman. He achieved this, winning La Liga and the Spanish Cup successful his archetypal afloat season, but helium came nether occurrence aft a drawstring of mediocre results and, despite a U-turn implicit his future, was sacked successful May.

Now, the Spaniard has been touted arsenic the antheral who could win Erik 10 Hag, whose decision to West Ham this play was the final nail successful his coffin astatine United aft mediocre signifier successful some the Premier League and Europe.

Yet, Xavi's aged employers aren’t precisely missing him. Barcelona are presently flying successful some La Liga – holding a six-point pb astatine the acme – and the Champions League nether Flick. Barca thumped Real Madrid 4-0 astatine the Bernabeu this weekend, and the connection sent by 44-year-old Xavi upon his departure from Catalonia has present near him looking alternatively sheepish.

“I would similar to archer the caller manager that helium volition endure and that helium should beryllium patient. It’s a precise analyzable position,” Xavi stated earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile asked what helium would accidental to his replacement.

"Make him recognize that it is simply a hard situation. Barça is already difficult, but the concern is adjacent more. The lone happening that volition prevention the caller manager is winning. He volition person to enactment hard due to the fact that it is not easy.”

Yet, winning is precisely what Flick has done. A daze 4-2 nonaccomplishment to Osasuna is the lone clip they’ve dropped points successful the league this year, and, successful Europe, past week’s 4-1 drubbing of chap giants Bayern Munich was the cleanable indicator of wherever the German has his side.

"Do I consciousness relieved? No, due to the fact that I wanted to stay, but I've been told that I couldn't,” Xavi added erstwhile asked astir if helium was relieved to beryllium leaving Barcelona. “It seems similar from time 1 each my words person generated an earthquake. I don't truly cognize why”

The Spaniard did driblet a flimsy hint that helium would privation to instrumentality to the Nou Camp dugout, but with Flick’s stellar form, that volition apt not beryllium an enactment anytime soon.

“It would beryllium different honour to instrumentality to the nine of my beingness 1 day… we volition see. The fans indispensable recognize that the economical concern is difficult. I americium leaving with the emotion of the fans and that fills maine with pride.”

Since this sacking, Xavi has been without a job, and reports person suggested Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co person lined him up arsenic idiosyncratic who could travel successful to regenerate the sacked Ten Hag – and person adjacent made interaction with him connected 2 occasions successful caller months.

With Ten Hag present being shown the exit door, it remains to beryllium seen whether specified interaction volition beryllium rekindled, oregon different campaigner preferred to the Spaniard. Assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy volition instrumentality complaint connected an interim ground successful the meantime, with a Carabao Cup necktie against Leicester up adjacent for United astatine Old Trafford connected Wednesday, followed by a sojourn from high-flying Chelsea successful the Premier League connected Sunday.

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