According to a report from Albert Masnou of SPORT, Barcelona will send a new contract offer to manager Xavi Hernandez after this weekend’s El Clasico against Real Madrid.
The 43-year-old tactician has done a fine job since taking over the reins at Spotify Camp Nou in November 2021. Having guided Barça to a second-place finish in La Liga last term, Xavi seems poised to lead the Catalans all the way to the title this time out.
Indeed, Barcelona are currently seated atop the La Liga table, a massive nine points clear of arch-rivals and current champions Real Madrid. And a win in the upcoming El Clasico would widen the gap further to 12 points.
Xavi, whose current contract expires next year, has also led Barça to the Spanish Super Cup triumph this season, beating Real Madrid in the finals.
The Blaugrana are also leading their eternal rivals 1-0 on aggregate in the Copa del Rey semi-final, with the second leg set to be played next month. So, there is an excellent chance that the club could end up with a domestic treble this season.
While the Catalans have endured disappointing campaigns in Europe, the work that Xavi has done is appreciated by president Joan Laporta, who admitted as much in a recent interview.
“I’m considering renewing Xavi, even if he doesn’t win the league. I think we have to renew him, he says not yet and that first we have to win La Liga. He deserves it. I’ve considered renewing him,” Laporta had said.
Now, the aforementioned report is claiming that the Barcelona supremo wants to offer Xavi a one-year renewal that will keep him at the club until 2025, so that the manager has two more years to continue his project that is headed in the right direction.
The report adds that Laporta wishes to keep Xavi at the club for the rest of his tenure as president, which expires in 2026.
During his first stint as the president, he had just two managers – Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola, and Laporta wishes to continue in a similar way so that the team has a stable base to succeed.
Apart from Xavi, Laporta also wants to hand a new contract to director Mateu Alemany, whose current one expires in 2024.
