Xavi's Emotional Message To Al-Sadd Amid Barcelona Links: 'I Really Want To Go Home'

Xavi Hernandez, who is a top contender to become FC Barcelona's new head coach, has urged his current club Al-Sadd to let him leave as he wants to "go home."

Barcelona recently sacked Ronald Koeman as their head coach and their B team coach, Sergi Barjuan, has been named as the interim boss of the first team. A delegation from Barcelona are currently in Qatar, negotiating with Al-Sadd to secure the services of their former captain. The deal is also complete and an official announcement will be made soon by the Catalans, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Following Al-Sadd's 3-3 draw with Al-Duhail in a Qatar Stars League match on Wednesday, Xavi expressed once again that he is eager to manage his boyhood club, where he spent the majority of his playing days.

"I've been talking to Barca for days, it's done. But now it depends on the conversations between clubs, they need to reach an agreement. Barca is coming to talk, we are all eager and excited. We'll see if it ends up being done. I really want to go home. I hope it happens. I have a contract and now the clubs have to negotiate. They already know my position," Xavi said in a post-match interview, Goal reported.

Meanwhile, Al-Sadd captain Abdelkarim Hassan seems to have accepted that his manager is on his way out of the club.

"Everyone is sad because of Xavi's departure, but he will coach a big team like Barcelona. Xavi presented a new idea to Qatari football and Al-Sadd players and helped us as a great player and coach, and his ideas led us to achieve a lot despite the criticism. We will miss him a lot," said Hassan.

In what could have been a farewell, Xavi shook hands with all his players and the referees after Wednesday's game.

"We welcome the visit of the delegation from Barça, we respect them. The club's position is clear from the beginning - we are committed to keeping Xavi with us and we can't have him leave at this sensitive time of the season," Al-Sadd CEO Turki Al-Ali said in an official release from the Qatar-based club while reacting to rumors regarding Xavi's departure.

Xavi, who first joined Al-Sadd from Barcelona as a player in the summer of 2015, took over the club as their boss in 2019. Across the last two years, under the management of Xavi, Al-Sadd have won as many as seven trophies, including the league title last season.

Moreover, should Xavi join Barcelona, he is expected to be presented next week, with his first match to come on Nov. 20 against Espanyol.