By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Barcelona confirmed the return of former midfielder Xavi Hernandez as a manager on Saturday.
Barcelona announced in the early hours of Saturday that Xavi has agreed to a contract through to 2024 after the former Spain midfielder was released from his contract at Qatari club Al-Sadd.
“FC Barcelona have reached an agreement with Xavi Hernandez for him to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons,” Barcelona said in a statement headlined “Welcome back home, Xavi!”.
“Xavi, a youth team product at Barça, has left his current club, Al-Sadd of Qatar, after talks held over the last few days with the owners of the club.”
He is expected to arrive back in Spain this weekend and will be officially unveiled on Monday at the Nou Camp.
In a video to fans, the World Cup and two-time European Championship-winning former Spain international said: “It wasn’t goodbye, it was ‘see you soon’. The Camp Nou has always been my home.
“You’re my fans, my people, the club that I love the most. And now, I’m coming home. See you soon, Culers. Forca Barca.”
Xavi, who played 767 games and won 25 titles with Barca in his 17 years in the first team, left for Al Sadd in 2015, first joining the club as a player.
He took over as head coach after retiring in 2019 and led them to last season’s league title. They are unbeaten in 36 league games.
Since Barcelona sacked Ronald Koeman on 27 October, Xavi has been heavily linked with a return to the Nou Camp where he spent the majority of his illustrious playing career.
The team has struggled to move on from the loss of Messi to PSG, with the club’s gross debt of €1.4 billion making it impossible to invest in new players.
Therefore, like Koeman before him, Xavi will have to work with a crop of talented youngsters, including Spain internationals Ansu Fati.
Barcelona are ninth in La Liga after winning only four of their opening 11 games, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Real Sociedad.