Barcelona Sporting Director Deco back on the hunt for new coach with three immediate candidates | OneFootball

Barcelona Sporting Director Deco has been instructed by President Joan Laporta and the Sporting Commission to restart the hunt for a new coach, following the decision to sack Xavi Hernandez at the end of the season.

After a remarkable U-turn, Laporta appears to have decided to sack Xavi just 16 days later in a latest development that grazes the scarcely believable. Barcelona will be facing a race against time to appoint a new coach now, with planning for the squad for next season well underway for most teams, and Barcelona.

Deco was in Porto for personal reasons, but the same of Sergio Conceicao has appeared again, with the Porto manager and Jorge Mendes client free in the summer. Former prime candidates to replace Xavi were Hansi Flick and Barca Atletic manager Rafael Marquez, and both are expected to be contacted again too, as per Diario AS.

It is another remarkable twist in the Barcelona soap opera, and while many were keen to see Xavi leave at the end of the season, the fashion in which he will do so leaves none of the central figures in a good light. Barcelona’s ability to spend on a new manager will also be impacted by Xavi’s willingness to wave the final year of his contract, while prospective coaches will no doubt seek assurances on the stability of the club, given events of the last three weeks.