La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly considering appointing Thomas Tuchel as a replacement for the under-fire Xavi Hernandez.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Thomas Tuchel has emerged on Barcelona’s radar. The Catalan giants view the 49-year-old German manager as a potential replacement for Xavi Hernandez, with the current Barcelona boss under tremendous pressure following recent results.
Barcelona seemed to be moving in the right direction in the first eight months under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez. The 42-year-old had overseen some promising results, including a big win over Real Madrid last season. And while Barcelona failed to win the UEFA Europa League, Xavi had Joan Laporta’s backing.
Barcelona also started the 2022/23 campaign strongly, climbing to the top of La Liga after letting in only one goal in the first eight games. And while the Catalan giants were struggling in the UEFA Champions League, there was hope of success this term. But the defeat in El Clasico has added pressure on Xavi.
Real Madrid outplayed Barcelona convincingly on Sunday to reclaim the top spot in La Liga. And with the Blaugrana on the brink of elimination from the Champions League following the 3-3 draw with Inter Milan last week, Joan Laporta and the Barcelona board might be weighing up their options. Thomas Tuchel has thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar.
Tuchel most recently managed Chelsea, guiding the Blues to win the UEFA Champions League in his first season. To his credit, the 49-year-old also steered the ship to safe waters amid the rampant uncertainties surrounding the Blues when former owner Roman Abramovich received a raft of sanctions.
But Tuchel’s stint with Chelsea shockingly ended last month when Todd Boehly gave him his marching orders. The German manager has rebuffed a few offers since then. But turning down Barcelona might not be on the cards for Tuchel if the Catalan giants present an offer.
For now, Xavi Hernandez is on unstable ground and needs to oversee some big results to save his job. But he could also get a long rope from Laporta, considering he is a club legend. It will be interesting to see if Barcelona can progress under Xavi’s tutelage in the coming weeks.
