There’s little chance that Xavi plans to spend his entire coaching career with Al Sadd, so you have to think he took that job with the hope that he would prove himself capable of taking over at Barcelona.
Marca reported that he’s likely to end up back at the Camp Nou as the club look to find their identity again, so it even looks like he could replace Koeman at the end of the season once a new President is elected.
Barca fans may be interested to see what kind of style he would bring to Barca on his return, and this goal from Al Sadd in their recent game suggests they can expect the same flowing football that they enjoyed under Pep Guardiola:
Bloody hell this looks like Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona! Except it’s Xavi’s Al Sadd in Qatar.#Barcelona pic.twitter.com/i4MXZM9GpI
— Barca GameDay (@BarcaGameDay) December 15, 2020
All the signs are there from the patience and composure in defence to play out under pressure to having forwards who will link up and make the correct runs to drag the defence out of position, so it’s just a brilliant goal to watch.
Lionel Messi’s future at the club could also hinge on Xavi returning, so this looks set to be a giant few months for Barca.