- FC Barcelona have reportedly sacked manager Xavi Hernandez, with former Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick set to replace him
- Flick’s announcement will be made on Monday and he will sign a one-year deal with the option to extend for another year if he meets specific objectives next season
FC Barcelona have reportedly decided to part ways with manager Xavi Hernandez, with Hansi Flick set to replace him. The reports of Xavi being sacked emerged on Friday after he held a meeting with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.
It’s exactly one month since Xavi decided to extend his stay at Barca despite initially announcing that he will leave at the end of the season. He changed his decision after being persuaded by Laporta not to leave, only for him to be sacked on Friday.
According to reports, Laporta sacked Xavi because of the recent comments by the manager in which he openly discussed Barca’s financial struggles.
Xavi Hernandez was sacked on Friday but will be in charge of Barcelona in their final La Liga match of the season tomorrow. Photo/ Goal.com.
Hansi Flick is expected to take over the wheel at Barcelona as Xavi will officially leave after Sunday’s La Liga match against Sevilla.
Who Is Hansi Flick?
Similar to most managers at the top level, Hansi Flick was also a professional footballer back in the days. The German began his career playing at BSC Mückenloch youth team and then had a short spell with SpVgg Neckargemünd before signing with SV Sandhausen.
It was at Sandhausen where he made his senior career debut. Flick would go on to play for various clubs, but is best remembered for his time at FC Bayern Munich.
The midfielder played for Bayern from 1985 to 1990, during which he won four Bundesliga titles among other trophies. He played over 100 matches for the Bavarians, scoring five goals.
Hansi Flick was not fortunate enough to play for the Germany national team but did made appearances for the youth team.
Hansi Flick’s Managerial Career
Hansi Flick started his managerial career while still playing and has achieved great success at the top level managing FC Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. Photo/ FC Barcelona Noticias.
Flick developed a passion for management while still a player. He was the player-manager of Viktoria Bammental in 1996 and remained in the position even after the club was relegated to the Verbandsliga Baden three years later.
Flick was appointed the head coach of Hoffenheim and despite helping the team gain promotion to the Regionalliga Süd, he was sacked in November 2005. He then worked under legendary managers Lothar Matthäus and Giovanni Trapattoni at Red Bull Salzburg learning a lot in the process.
From there, he proceeded to work as the assistant manager of Germany under Joachim Low, playing a significant role in the 2014 World Cup triumph.
Success At Bayern Munich
Hansi Flick worked as the sporting director of Germany after the 2014 World Cup until 2017. Two years later, he rejoined his former club Bayern Munich and worked as an assistant to Niko Kovač. He was then made the interim manager after Niko left by mutual consent.
Flick led Bayern Munich to victory in the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB-Pokal in his debut season at the club. The 59-year-old instantly became one of the most sought after managers in Europe. He led Bayern to another Bundesliga victory at the end of the 2020-21 season and then expressed desires to return to the national team and work as manager with the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaching.
Flick’s tactics failed to work and Germany were eliminated from World Cup in the group stages. He was then sacked in September 2023 after after a third straight defeat against Japan.
Hansi Flick. Photo/ Bayern Munich.
When Will Barcelona Announce Flick?
Hansi Flick has already agreed to work with Barcelona. The decision came after Xavi was sacked on Friday but GOAL reveals that a telephone conversation between Flick and Deco on Wednesday already sealed the deal.
While Xavi said that Sunday will be the last time he will lead Barcelona, the official announcement of Flick as manager is expected on Monday. Flick will sign a one-year deal with the option to extend for another year if he meets specific objectives next season.
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