0:1 against the newbies of Rayo Vallecano – the latest failure was a fatal one. Ronald Koeman was sacked in Barcelona! With Xavi Hernandez, a club legend could return as headcoach. What would his starting XI look like in FIFA 22?
We all saw that one coming. The defeat on October 27th (0-1 to Rayo Vallecano) was the sad climax of many disappointing performances over the past few months. 0:3 against Bayern, 0:3 against Benfica, the lost Clasico (1:2). Ronald Koeman simply failed at Barcelona. No question. Even if you can't blame the coach for the whole Catalan misery, the Dutchman would actually have had the material, at least, to aim for the top 3 in the league. Frenkie De Jong, Memphis, Sergio Agüero, or exceptional talents like Pedri and Ansu Fati – the Blaugrana roster has some serious potential. So, what's possible for his successor?
With Xavi Hernandez, a real legend is returning to Barcelona. A man who knows the club, who lives the Catalan philosophy of the last decade. So are we experiencing a new tiki-taka? That would be one of many possibilities. Here, you can see which starting XI we could see under Xavi!
Xavi As The New Barcelona Coach – This Could Be His Starting XI
When you think of Xavi and FC Barcelona, of course, Pep Guardiola comes to mind as well. 4-3-3 and the legendary short passing Tiki-Taka. Worldwide dominance can be that simple. If you take a closer look at Xavi's work at his current employer, Al-Sadd SC, things look different again. Successful football with a three defender system. The Spaniard is particularly in love with the 3-5-2. It reminds of our article about Antonio Conte at Manchester United. But can you even imagine something like that at Barça?
I wouldn't recommend that. The fans in Catalonia don't have the best memories about that. In the embarrassing appearances against Bayern and Benfica, Koeman failed with a three defender system. So just don't do it, Xavi. I think in the end, everyone wants a return to the classic 4-3-3 anyway. But what would that look like? Well, something like this:
If you want to revive the vibes of Guardiolas Barcelona, you could of course play without a real CAM. Then, Xavi would probably let Depay switch positions with Aguero and swap Busquets with the Argentine. But if you look at the player material from Barcelona right now, the picture above shows a very likely line-up. The club will still suffer because of the departure of Lionel Messi last summer, though...
Many players have potential to become key players under Xavi, but my favorites are definitely Depay, Pedri and Ansu Fati. They could lead Barcelona into a brighter future and make you forget the debacles of recent years. In the end, however, a lot depends on the coach. Is Xavi the right choice? The club legend can certainly ensure a bit of peace and order. The fans would celebrate such a return as well. But then let's hope that it won't be a mistake like Andrea Pirlo at Juventus ... erm Piemonte Calcio. I want to see him rise like Frank Lampard at Chelsea... With a better ending, of course.
