La Liga giants Barcelona view 46-year-old Argentine tactician Marcelo Gallardo as a replacement for Xavi Hernandez.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Xavi Hernandez is on a slippery slope after some poor recent results for Barcelona. And the Catalan giants are considering 46-year-old Argentine tactician Marcelo Gallardo as a potential replacement for the current manager.
Marcelo Gallardo is a former attacking midfielder who represented Argentine on the international stage. He also played for some big clubs, including River Plate and Paris Saint-Germain. And after three stints with River Plate, he eventually became the Argentine club’s manager in 2014.
The 46-year-old started his managerial career with Uruguayan club Nacional. But the Argentine tactician’s stock has skyrocketed since joining River Plate eight years ago. Gallardo has won 14 trophies with the Argentine giants, including the Primera Division last season.
But Gallardo’s time at River Plate is ending this year, with the 46-year-old announcing his exit after a successive eight-year stint. However, the Argentine manager might not be unemployed for long, as Barcelona might approach him for the hot seat at Spotify Camp Nou.
Xavi Hernandez is currently at the helm at Camp Nou, showing some promising signs in the past year. The win over Real Madrid in the second half of the 2021/22 season might have left some fans excited for the future. But the recent defeat in El Clasico was a crushing blow for the hopes, even though the Catalan giants remain just three points behind their arch-rivals.
In addition, the 3-3 draw with Inter Milan last week has left Barcelona on the brink of elimination from the UEFA Champions League for the second successive year. And so, the pressure is mounting on Xavi to deliver the results or face the sack. Gallardo has thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar.
Another manager on Barcelona’s wishlist is Thomas Tuchel, who recently lost his job at Chelsea. As for Gallardo, the 46-year-old Argentine manager will be ready for a new challenge when he leaves River Plate. And it will be interesting to see if his next adventure comes at FC Barcelona if Xavi does not last long.
