Barcelona thinks of Marcelo Gallardo as Xavi’s successor

He FC Barcelona look for a coach after Xavi Hernandez announced that at the end of the season he will leave his position. For this reason, the Catalan club would have set its eyes on the Argentine Marcelo Gallardowho was already in the portfolio previously.

According to Spanish media, Gallant It is one of the two options that most convince the president. Joan Laportasince the president also has the Italian in his portfolio Andrea Pirlo.

Although the Argentine coach has a contract with Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia until June 2025within the link there would be a clause that allows him to terminate it if he is wanted by a team from the european football.

The time Barcelona offered Gallardo the job

This is not the first time that the multi-champion with River It is in the orbit of Barcelonaso that in 2019 when the team was severely eliminated at the hands of the Liverpool in the Champions League, Eric Abidal and Ramon Planes at the head, they thought of the “Muñeco” as the successor of Valverde.

The call came but at the beginning of 2020when the “Culé” team lost the Spain Supercup before him Atletico Madrid by 3 to 2 and it meant the end of the cycle for Valverde. At that time, Gallant He appreciated the contact but rejected the opportunity to take the reins of a team that still had Lionel Messisince five days before the preseason had begun with River and he was not going to leave the team with the work started.

Finally, the one who took the reins Quique Setienwhich arrived with good scrolls from the Real Betisbut he was never able to translate that work into one of the two most important clubs in Spain.

Already in 2021with the departure of the latter due to poor results and a terrible relationship with the team’s leaders and, the also departure of the Dutchman Ronald Koeman, Laporta thought of Gallantbut the offer never came and was Xavi who took charge of the team.

With the spanish “emotionally worn out” and without finding a way back into the team, he announced his departure for June of this year.

The Argentinian and the Italian Pirlo they bite on point, although we should not rule out the chance of Frank Rijkaardwho appeared in the last few hours, and although he has not directed for a decade, he won a Champions League with the club and made his debut Messi.