59-year-old manager still dreaming of Barcelona job despite club identifying alternative | OneFootball

With Xavi all but certain to leave FC Barcelona at the end of the season, the hunt for a new manager is back on the agenda at the club.

Numerous names had been linked with the job a few months ago, but it has filtered down to one candidate now – Barça Atletic manager Rafa Marquez.

Indeed, the former Barça and Mexico defender is understood to be the best positioned to take over from Xavi due to two key factors.

Meanwhile, Hansi Flick, who was seen as a frontrunner for the job, is believed to be out of contention now because of his lack of familiarity with the club and La Liga.

Flick still waiting and dreaming

However, as per the latest update from Mundo Deportivo, despite Barcelona no longer looking at him as a top candidate, Hansi Flick still dreams of managing the Catalan giants.

The 59-year-old, who won the sextuple with Bayern Munich in 2020, is not ready to throw in the towel as of yet.

Flick wants to wait to see how events unfold at Can Barça before making a decision on his future, especially with the meeting that Barça have scheduled with Xavi for next week to discuss his continuity.

Flick continues to wait for Barcelona. (Photo by RONNY HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

At this point, the German tactician has from the Premier League, while Turkish giants Besiktas have become the latest club to express an interest in him.

But the former German national team and Bayern Munich coach maintains his dream of coaching Barcelona, despite the fact that the club is leaning towards Marquez if Xavi decides to leave.

Preparing for the challenge

Flick is so motivated to coach Barcelona that, as soon as his name was associated with the club, started learning Spanish to prepare for the job.

Furthermore, it has been previously reported that the 59-year-old has been researching about the club and the league as preparation if there is a chance.

However, as things stand, Rafa Marquez appears the most likely choice if Xavi departs.