Xavi: Barcelona icon makes surprise return to management admission | OneFootball

Former Barcelona manager and legendary player Xavi Hernandez has revealed that he would be willing to take charge of a different La Liga club and is actively looking to return to management.

The former Catalan club captain returned to his boyhood club in November 2021, taking over a side which was floundering after the sudden departure of Lionel Messi. Xavi steered Barcelona to a second-place finish before lifting the La Liga title in his first full season (2022/23).

However, tensions were never far from the surface during Xavi's strained spell. The former Al Sadd coach repeatedly complained: "Barcelona is the most difficult club to manage in the world." After offering to step down at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, the club persuaded Xavi to stay only to then sack him to make way for Hansi Flick.

In an interview with France Football (via AS), Xavi maintained his deep affection for a club which is "much more than football, it is almost a religion". Yet, insisted that this lasting relationship did not rule him out of taking another job in the Spanish top flight.

Xavi Hernandez boasts the second-highest number of appearances for Barcelona in club history (767) / Fran Santiago/GettyImages

"I don't have anything predetermined, I'm open," Xavi revealed. "Why not coach another team in La Liga? I'm looking for an exciting project, I have the ambition to win trophies. This is the main objective. I will be listening to the different offers."

The former Spain international also opened himself up to the possibility of taking over a country. "I want my players to have fun, develop football that is attractive to the fans and win titles," he beamed. "I want to win the Champions League, the European Championship, the World Cup."

Delving more specifically into his decline at Barcelona - the club finished ten points adrift of league champions Real Madrid last season - Xavi cited personnel changes to the hierarchy. "My first year and a half at Barca was very, very good," he noted.

"We had a good project with [director of football] Mateu Alemany and [sporting director] Jordi Cruyff that allowed us to finish second in La Liga, before winning the championship in 2023, as well as the Spanish Super Cup. Then, the results were less good. The departure of Jordi and Mateu was a hard blow."

Barcelona haven't much missed their former manager this season, enjoying a re-energised brand of direct football under Flick which leaves them well placed to complete a European treble not seen since Xavi's days in midfield.