Football
Sam Marsden, Barcelona correspondent 8y

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez wants to manage club in future

Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez would love to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique and return to manage the club one day, but says he wants to play on for two more years before seriously considering it.

Xavi, 36, left Barca in 2015 after making over 750 appearances to sign for Al Sadd, who play in the Qatar Stars League. The midfielder has no regrets about his decision to depart Camp Nou and is enjoying the coaching side of things and wants to get his badges.

"I like being on the pitch with the kids, helping them, correcting them," Xavi told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. "Coaching Barca is one of the ideas I have. I don't know if it will all come together, but I like coaching more and more every day.

"It's too soon to return to Barcelona at the moment, though. [When you leave] you realise the demands of being there. I needed to be away from stress. It's intense and I need more years [away]. I'd like to play for two more years, take my coaching badges and then see."

Regardless of his return as manager, Xavi added that he would like to see his former club adopt Bayern Munich's structure, with ex-players filling the important off-the-pitch roles.

It's an idea that Gerard Pique buys in to as well. The Spain defender has even gone as far as to pick his potential Dream Team to lead the Blaugrana forward in his post-retirement years, anointing himself as club president.

"I'd like to see Barca adopt Bayern's style, with the club ran by ex-players," Xavi said. "Geri's [Pique] said he wants to be president of the club one day, with [Carles] Puyol as sporting director, me as manager and Sergio Busquets as my assistant!"

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