Xavi Hernández is the newest manager of FC Barcelona; however, before taking over the reins of the La Liga side, the Spanish tactician had an opportunity to coach in South America.
Marca relayed the comments made by Xavi confirming that he had the chance to be part of the coaching staff under Tite for the Brazil National Team.
The new Barcelona boss explained that he was offered an assistant role that would keep him with the Brazilian staff until next year’s FIFA World Cup.
“Yes, it is true that I spoke with Brazil. The idea was to help Tite and catch the team after the World Cup. My illusion was to come to Barça. I feel prepared, with a lot of confidence. I feel that it is the moment,” Xavi said.
The idea from Brazil’s perspective was for Xavi to get used to the team, know how things work in the Brazilian Football Confederation, and become the team coach after the World Cup.
Nonetheless, going from a manager to an assistant might seem like stepback for Xavi even though he was managing a club in Qatar. Therefore, in his eyes, it only felt right to leave Al-Sadd for another managerial role and not an assistant even though it was a position at the national team level.