It's been almost seven months since Xavi Hernandez was sacked by Barcelona, and he has since taken a break from football. His idea has been to take a sabbatical year after a stressful spell in charge of the club he was associated with for 27 years, which is more than half his life.
Xavi has been spending time with his family during these months away from football, even staying away from all public appearances. However, he is not completely out of action as he has been preparing for his return to management – according to Marca, that will take place in the summer.
According to the report, sources close to Xavi have stated that the 45-year-old has set his sights on his next job as “a European club with ambitions and a medium-term project”.
In recent months, it has been reported that Xavi has turned down numerous job offers during his sabbatical. According to MD, Manchester United approached him ahead of Ruben Amorim's appointment, while proposals have also arrived from Besiktas, Botafogo and the South Korean national team. He was even linked with the chance of managing former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.
Barcelona have moved on from Xavi, with Hansi Flick attracting both club officials and supporters with his daring playing style. He has already won his first trophy as a manager in the Spanish Super Cup, which was achieved after a spectacular 5-2 victory over Real Madrid in the final in Jeddah.
It remains to be seen where Xavi ends up once he makes his return to football management. He proved plenty during his time in charge of Barcelona's first team, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he was the subject of several offers when the summer rolls around.
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