Xavi Hernandez Heaps Praise Upon Outgoing Director Of Football For Barcelona
Last week, Barcelona announced the shock news that Mateu Alemany would be leaving his role as Director of Football at the end of the season.
Alemany is expected to take up a similar role at Aston Villa, where he will work alongside former Sevilla and Villarreal head coach Unai Emery.
Xavi Hernandez has worked closely with Alemany since he took over as head coach at Barcelona in November 2021, and speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Derbi Barceloni (via Relevo), he took the opportunity to thank Alemany.
“He is a person who has been instrumental in the restructuring of the club, both he and Jordi Cruyff. It’s a major casualty, but it’s a personal decision. I wish him all the best, it has been a pleasure working with him.”
Xavi’s former Barcelona teammate Deco has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Alemany, although he refused to be drawn on the speculation.
“They are hypotheses. Nothing has been decided. When there is, we’ll make it official. At the moment, all that’s know is that Mateu is leaving.”
Barcelona will have a big task on their hands to find the perfect replacement for Alemany, and it is a process that is expected to take several weeks to finalise.
