Xavi Hernandez: Barcelona's new coach
From the moment Ronald Koeman left Barcelona - or even since his signing - there was one name that always stood above the rest in the Can Barça offices. It was none other than the legendary Xavi Hernández. The former coach of Al-Sadd in Qatar is now officially the new leader of a project under reconstruction. Xavi will be in charge of putting together a team that manages to turn around a catastrophic situation in La Liga - ninth, eight points behind Real Madrid and six behind Atlético - and somewhat deficient in the Champions League, where they must beat Benfica to ensure qualification for the last 16.
Far from being a simple matter, Xavi's return to Barcelona has required an expedition to Doha led by Rafa Yuste, sporting vice-president, and Mateu Alemany, director of football. In addition, Barça will have to pay the transfer - around five million euros - for the Tarrasa native to become the new tenant of the culé Blaugrana for the next two and a half seasons. The club is excited about a new stage that both sides were clear that sooner or later it was going to happen.
Xavi Hernández returns to the club where he became a legend. The legendary "6" left 27 titles in the Camp Nou's trophy cabinet and now returns to bring his beloved team back to life after four years in Qatar. Already at the helm of Al-Sadd, he showed the influence that the Barcelona academy had on his way of seeing the game from the sidelines: "My coaching philosophy reflects the style that we developed for many years under the influence of Johan Cruyff and La Masia," said the newly named Barcelona coach in March of this year.
Negotiations with the Qatari club where Xavi Hernández ended his playing career and began his coaching career have been tough for Barça. From the outset, the club's directors were warned that the absence of president Joan Laporta would cost the club money, which Laporta, looking out more for his personal image and his bad relations with the Qatari regime, preferred to ignore. Thus, the blaugranas are forced to pay Xavi's transfer. 
What Xavi's arrival on the Barcelona bench could mean for the game is, after all, an unknown quantity. While it is true that it is an injection of joy and enthusiasm for the fans, the Catalan's lack of experience in charge of a team as head coach could be a handicap when it comes to taking charge of a club of Barcelona's stature. However, the Barça DNA, as was the case with the arrival of Pep Guardiola, can give a team lacking in energy and collective play more of a boost than experience.
The now Manchester City coach referred a few days ago to the then hypothetical arrival of Xavi Hernández on the Can Barça bench. "I have no doubt that he is ready for the job. He knows the game, he has passion and I'm sure he has more experience now than I had when I took over," Guardiola said of the arrival of his former player during the most successful period in the history of FC Barcelona.
Laporta already has his new coach. If there is one thing that is certain, it is that he will showcase the values and style of a club that wrote some of the most beautiful pages in the history of football with a game of touch whose hallmark will remain forever engraved on the walls of the Camp Nou. Xavi is back at the most critical moment that young Barcelona fans can possibly remember. The game and the results are still unknown, what is certain is that the illusion has returned to Barcelona.
