Man Utd made another mid-season sacking on Monday when it was announced that Ruben Amorim had left the club.
Xavi pictured at Old Trafford.(Image: 2020 Soccrates Images B.V.)
When Ruben Amorim conducted his first Manchester United press conference in November 2024, he said: “I truly feel that I am the right man in the right moment. I could be wrong, but the earth will turn and the sun will rise again. It doesn’t matter, and I am not worried about that.”
Amorim was sacked when the sun rose following United’s draw against Leeds on Sunday, but he was true to his word from his first conference as he departed, pictured with a care-free look on his face hours after his dismissal.
The 40-year-old has pocketed around £10million and will return to Portugal with his family. Now, the question at Old Trafford is who will be hired to replace Amorim on a permanent basis? Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola are already of interest. Glasner has done a magnificent job during his stint at Selhurst Park, and his contract with Crystal Palace is set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Iraola’s contract at Bournemouth also expires in the summer, although are either of those coaches cut out for the United job? Glasner plays with five at the back – albeit the tactics within that system are different to Amorim’s – while Iraola is hardly the flavour of the month at Bournemouth after a poor run of results.
The bookmakers have priced Glaser, Gareth Southgate, Mauricio Pochettino, Unai Emery, Xavi, Iraola, and Zinedine Zidane as the most likely replacements, but United should consider the former Barcelona midfielder on that list, not the former midfielder who starred for Real Madrid.
Although there is no standout candidate, Xavi makes more appeal than most. The Spaniard has been out of work since leaving Barcelona in 2024 and would be immediately available.
Darren Fletcher will take charge against Burnley and United are considering hiring an interim manager to oversee for the remainder of the season, which could be Fletcher, but Ralf Rangnick’s interim stint highlighted the risk of employing a coach who arrives with a short-term remit.
Xavi took his second job in management at Barcelona in 2021, replacing Ronald Koeman, and he led Barcelona to their first La Liga title in four years in his first full season in charge.
Xavi pictured with the La Liga title in 2023.(Image: 2023 Getty Images)
The 45-year-old took over at Barcelona during one of the club’s most challenging periods due to financial issues, but he turned the team around and won the Spanish Supercopa alongside the league title.
The manner in which Barcelona won their games was impressive. Xavi played with a 4-3-3, which was designed to be an attacking system, something United fans are crying out for after Amorim’s tenure.
Xavi reflected on his Barcelona stint and said that “beyond trophies”, he was proud of trusting a new generation, promoting the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Alejandro Balde.
Several young players promoted by Xavi have had a crucial role in the success of his replacement, Hansi Flick. Xavi is a coach who understands the importance of believing in young players, which is another tick in the box when considering whether he would be a good fit for United.
Xavi would not be fazed by managing at the biggest club in England. Barcelona are even bigger than United around the world, and the Catalan press are some of the harshest critics in global media.
He would command respect in the dressing room as one of the finest midfielders to have ever played the game, and he learned from Pep Guardiola during their time at Barcelona.
Mikel Arteta learned from Guardiola as part of his coaching staff at Manchester City and has significantly improved Arsenal. Enzo Maresca’s reputation soared after working with Guardiola. Some clubs have looked for the next best alternative to Guardiola. Xavi might fit that billing for United.
He speaks superb English and spoke warmly about United when in the press conference room at Old Trafford in 2023.
This reporter attended Xavi’s press conference that evening and couldn’t help but think he could be a future manager of United. The cards have fallen into place to make that a reality.