Xavi Hernández and his staff will sign their renewal this week until June 30, 2023 by Al Sadd. The contract has already been drawn up and is only waiting to formalize the signature, which will be formalized in the coming days. A contract that binds him to the Qatari club for the next two seasons, but which maintains a 'Barça clause', for which he would be released automatically, and free of charge, in the event that Barcelona knocks on the door.
Xavi and Al Sadd had been negotiating a renewal for a long time, but it was the coach who asked for a bit of reflection time: in principle Xavi wanted to sign for just one year, but the Doha team remained inflexible in the two seasons, especially considering that Qatar organizes the 2022 World Cup and I wanted to count on Xavi as an ambassador for Qatari football.
Finally, the legendary Blaugrana player has accepted two more years, but with the ace kept up his sleeve of maintaining the 'Barça clause', which would exempt him without any nuance from continuing in Doha if he Barcelona requires their services.
This two-year renewal also covers the rest of his staff, but in the case of his assistants they do not need to resort to an exceptional clause to be released.
The leaders of Al Sadd consider Xavi the ideal man to lead the club in the coming years. In his second season, the coach has made a full of national titles, highlighting the QSL, who won with an overwhelming superiority, four days in advance and finishing the competition undefeated. However, the team was very disappointed in their participation in the Asian Champions League, where they were left out due to the goal difference in the 'goal average', after experiencing a real 'robbery' on the last day of the league against him Al Nassr Saudi Arabian, with a nonexistent offside, that if he ended up scoring the Korean Tae hee, would have meant qualifying for the second round.
This elimination, in any case, has not changed the roadmap of the Al sadd, which has another great date in history on May 9 by playing the semifinals of the Emir Cup against Al Arabi. In case of winning, it would be the fourth final that the team of Xavi (He has already won the previous three).
So that, the relationship between Xavi and Barcelona will still have to wait a bit. It must be remembered that Xavi's name had been on the lips of all the candidates during the electoral campaign, especially between Víctor Font and Joan Laporta. The coach, who decided not to actively participate in the elections, ended up being the center of several heated debates among the candidates.
In the last weeks his name has returned to associate as the best positioned to replace Koeman on the bench of FC Barcelona, but it is evident that its imminent renewal by the Al sadd I would close the doors, at least for the next course. A news that directly affects the Dutch coach, who could face the remaining four games with the peace of mind of having his continuity almost assured for another year.
In any case, Xavi is very clear that he will not let the Barça train escape once again. He already ruled it out when Óscar Grau and Eric Abidal appeared in Doha a year and a half ago, considering that it was too premature and did not yet have enough experience, and last summer he rejected the proposal again as he was not clear about the project he was starting. Josep Maria Bartomeu. However, now, after two years at the helm of Al Sadd and with six titles under his arm, considers that it is now fully prepared to take on the commands and challenges of a large ocean liner.