Champions League-winning manager no longer favourite to replace Xavi at Barcelona due to one key reason

There are certain qualities that the Barcelona administration are looking for in their next manager. Among them is the ability to nurture young talents, work with limited finances and build up a project in the long term as opposed to short-term fixes.

As revealed by Luis F Rojo of MARCA, however, Deco has instated one more clause on the aforementioned list which eliminates one of the names who has been considered a prime target all this while.

Goodbye Flick?

As revealed by the Spanish outlet, Barcelona are looking for a coach who has experience in more than one league and one way of football.

After all, the club are in an attempt to not deviate excessively from Barcelona’s style of football and thus expect the next manager to be versatile enough to work through the nuances.

Flick, in that sense, does not fit the bill. He began his managerial career at FC Bammental in Germany before moving to Hoffenheim where he spent five years.

He returned to the post of head coach only 14 years after his stint at Hoffenheim ended when he took over at Bayern Munich and won the sextuple.

Considering that his most recent stint was with the German National Team as well, the coach has not seen any exposure to leagues outside his nation. He is still on Barcelona’s radar, but his appointment is complicated despite the laurels to his name.

Remaining candidates

While Flick may not boast of experience in various leagues, some of Barcelona’s alternative options do tick the box.

Roberto De Zerbi has coached top teams in Ukraine, England and Italy while Thomas Tuchel has held the reins in Germany, France, and England.

Barcelona’s final decision will depend on a multitude of factors including the team’s performance in the coming months and their economic freedom come June.

De Zerbi’s signing, for instance, depends on the Catalans’ ability to fulfil his release clause. As for Tuchel, there are some doubts with him as well due to his latest stint at Bayern Munich.

None of the aforementioned candidates have been contacted thus far, for the club wish to make a move only after they are sure of the circumstances in June.