The Saudi newspaper Al-Youm reported that Xavi Hernandez is a candidate to coach a major Saudi club in the coming period. The coach has yet to decide whether to move to the Saudi Professional League or wait for a team from one of Europe’s top five leagues.
Since leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2023, Xavi has not coached any club despite receiving numerous offers, most notably from the Qatari national team and Chelsea.
According to the latest report, Xavi has been added to the list of candidates to coach Al-Shabab FC, replacing Imanol Alguacil, whose results have deteriorated and whose dismissal is now imminent.
Al-Youm also noted that Xavi is not the only candidate for the Al-Shabab coaching position, and that he is expected to receive a substantial financial offer from the Saudi Professional League. The list also includes Argentine coach Ramon Diaz, who is experienced in Saudi football, and Romanian coach Eduard Iordanescu.
Xavi’s stance on the lucrative new offer from Saudi Arabia remains unclear. This news from Al-Shabab comes just hours after journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Barcelona legend is very open to coaching Manchester United, despite not having received any contact from the English club’s officials so far.
It’s worth noting that last summer, Xavi announced he was waiting for the right opportunity to return to coaching, clearly indicating his preference for working in Europe’s top five leagues. It’s also worth mentioning that Saudi club Al-Ittihad attempted to recruit him after the dismissal of Laurent Blanc a few months ago, but the Catalan coach rejected the offer at the time.
