Thomas Tuchel sends Barcelona clear 'come and get me' plea after Xavi resigns
Thomas Tuchel is facing a backlash at Bayern Munich after speaking openly about his desire to work in Spain the day after Xavi Hernandez announced he would be leaving Barcelona.
Xavi made the surprise announcement on Saturday in the aftermath of a 5-3 defeat at home by Villarreal. “I will leave Barcelona in June. We have reached a point of no return. It's time for change,” he said bluntly.
His decision has left Barca competing with Liverpool in the pool of elite managers, with the Reds looking to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season. And while former Chelsea manager Tuchel is unlikely to be linked with Liverpool, he appears a better fit with Barcelona – and his comments on the weekend could be seen as a come and get me plea.
Speaking at an event with Bayern fan club Red Stars in Heidenheim on Sunday, Tuchel said: “Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league. From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterised by a tremendous amount of self-confidence. When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person.”
His comments are unlikely to go down well with his current employers, who have already been irritated with his behaviour this season. Bayern are second behind Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table and Tuchel’s constant sniping about the club not backing him in the transfer market has led to internal issues.
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Bayern’s honorary president, Uli Hoeness felt compelled to hit out at Tuchel back in October after he accused the club of leaving him with a “thin squad” after a summer transfer window in which they missed out on top midfield targets Declan Rice and Joao Palhinha.
“Those statements are a feast for the media, especially the tabloids,” Hoeness said. “Some, including the coach, made unwise statements, because I shouldn’t make my own team look bad by saying our squad is too thin. We don’t have a thin squad.”
Xavi will quit Barcelona at the end of the season (Getty Images)Tuchel has not yet been linked with the Barca job. Reports in Spain suggested that Klopp, Mikel Arteta and Julian Nagelsmann would be targeted and that sporting director Deco had already begun to sound out agents.
Arteta has 18 months left on his contract with Arsenal and Mirror Football understands that the Gunners are not worried about him jumping ship in the summer. Nevertheless, Barca are convinced they can tempt Arteta back to his homeland and further speculation is sure to follow.
Other candidates Deco and club president Joan Laporta may consider for the Barcelona job include Alonso, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who has been linked with the club before, and former Barca players Rafael Marquez and Thiago Motta. Marquez is the coach of Barca’s B team and has already made it clear he wouldn't turn it down were he to receive the call.
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