Barcelona's surprising stance on Julian Nagelsmann revealed

Tom Weber

• Updated: 17 Feb 2024 13:15 GMT
• 3 min read

Despite Barcelona president Joan Laporta being fond of Julian Nagelsmann, the Germany head coach is not in the running to succeed Xavi, according to Spanish media.

The Blaugrana's coaching search continues. After Xavi's surprising announcement that he would step down at the end of the season, the Catalan giants are scrambling to find their next manager. Whoever comes in to replace the club legend will have their work cut out next term.

Barcelona are in the midst of an incredibly disappointing season and their financial troubles are unlikely to go away anytime soon. The reigning LaLiga champions will reportedly be forced into at least one major sale in the upcoming transfer window.

It is not yet clear who the favourite to replace Xavi is at this stage. Ex-Germany coach Hansi Flick appears the most likely option and he is reportedly already learning Spanish as he is very keen on the job, but his successor at the DFB team, Julian Nagelsmann, could also become available in the summer.

Nagelsmann to Barcelona?

The 36-year-old recently admitted that it is not yet known what the future will hold for him. His Germany contract only runs until Euro 2024 and he revealed that, as things stand, he will leave his post after the tournament on home soil.

This has naturally made him a contender for the soon-to-be-vacant Barcelona job and it was recently claimed that president Joan Laporta is a fan of Nagelsmann. Yet, intriguingly, Sport now reports that the former Bayern boss is not in the running to succeed Xavi.

The Spanish outlet asserts that "sources close to Barça classify him as virtually ruled out" for several reasons. One is the simple fact that he would only be able to start in his new role relatively late in the summer. Another crucial point is that Barcelona prefer someone who has achieved tangible success at the highest level, something that has thus far eluded Nagelsmann.