Ronald Koeman already has his replacement in Barcelona

The equation's simple: Of three possible titles, Barcelona won perhaps the least important, reason enough to say that the goal of the season was not met. With Ronald Koeman at the helm, the Catalan cast became champion of the Copa del Rey, but was severely eliminated in the Champions League against Paris Saint Germain, while in La Liga they no longer have a chance to establish themselves. For this reason, the leadership headed by Joan Laporta made a decision: to hire a new coach for next season. And the one targeted for the position's Xavi.

"I don't know anything, I'm on vacation, really." These were the first words of Xavi Hernández as soon as he landed in Barcelona, at the edge of 2.10 p.m., from Doha. The Al Sadd technician, who had not set foot in Catalonia for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, found a communion of journalists and cameras waiting for him at the exit door of Terminal 1.

Rumors about the possibility of Xavi releasing Koeman on the bench have multiplied in recent days, especially after the information published by the 'Diario Ara' last Saturday about an imminent meeting with Joan Laporta to talk about the possibility of take the baton from Ronald Koeman for the next season. However, both the club and the player's own environment have systematically denied the major, ensuring that there is nothing yet and that they don't plan to meet with anyone from the club, at least imminently.

What seems clear is that Koeman's days at the helm are over. The latest results, especially after the defeat against Granada at the Camp Nou (1-2), have precipitated events, with Joan Laporta determined to promote a revolution both on the bench and in the squad.

Obviously, Xavi's one of the best positioned candidates: he knows the house perfectly, with an impeccable career both as a player and as a coach, a cornerstone of the best Barça of all time, fully identified with the Blaugrana DNA and eager to take on the challenge of his life, after having said 'no' twice on previous occasions because he considered that his moment had not yet come.

Xavi, who arrived accompanied by his family, plans to stay in Catalonia for more than a month, so he has taken a total of twenty-two suitcases with him, an amount of luggage that more than one took for granted that invited to think that no longer he was going to leave...