The FC Barcelona team, which was captained by Xavi Hernandez, was in action yesterday in their ninth league game of the new La Liga Santander season in Spain. This game doubled as the away leg of the El-Clasico against longtime rival and defending champion Real Madrid at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Barcelona failed to impress throughout the game, losing disappointingly after a dreadful effort that caused them to fall to second place on the table despite being in first place prior to the game.
At the end of regulation, the Catalan giant was defeated by a score of three goals to one thanks to goals from Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde, and Rodrygo Goes for the home team and Ferran Torres scoring the lone goal for the visiting.
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With the outcome of the match, Barcelona has now fallen to their first league foe of the campaign while being led by the Spanish manager, who managed his 50th game since taking over for Ronald Koeman in 2021. (28W 11D 11L).
The peak of it all was their terrible run of form in the UEFA Champions League, as they are currently on the danger of crashing out of the competition at the group stage level in two consecutive seasons, making Xavi Hernandez’s 56% winning percentage the lowest of any Barca coach with 50 or more games since 2001.
If the club decides to fire the Spanish strategist, these are the two tactical managers who might take his position at Camp Nou:
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Given the roster’s star-studded lineup and the fact that the former Manchester United manager has been devoid of a job since parting ways with the Red Devils, he will be more than eager to accept the position and make the drastic adjustments necessary to return the team to its rightful place.
This is due to the fact that the Norwegian tactician’s skills were put to the test during his time with Manchester United, thus he is more than capable of handling pressures on a large stage and directing events the way he did at Old Trafford in the beginning of his employment.
Mauricio Pochettino
Since he parted ways with the Parisien, the Argentine international and former manager of Paris Saint-Germain is also currently unemployed. Should he be chosen as one of the preferred candidates, he would also make a good choice for the position.
During his time at both Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, where he left certain legacies that might be repeated should he be hired, he performed quite a remarkable job throughout all competitions.