Gerard Pique names two Premier League managers as the ‘obvious’ choices to replace Xavi at Barcelona after the Catalan icon announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season

Former Barcelona star Gerard Pique has weighed in on who should succeed Xavi as the Catalan club’s manager next season.

After hanging up his boots in 2019, Xavi took the reins at Qatari side Al Sadd before returning to the Nou Camp when he was named Barca boss in 2021.

The 44-year-old claimed his first silverware as the club’s manager last season, winning La Liga with a ten-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid despite the club being plagued by financial uncertainty.

This season has proven to be less successful for the Blaugrana however, and despite his side remaining in contention in Europe, in January Xavi announced he would depart the club at the end of the season.

Speaking on who he believes is the candidate best-suited to replace his former teammate in the hot-seat, Pique named two current Premier League managers as potential frontrunners.

Pique and Xavi enjoyed various successes together as players, with the former hanging up his boots during Xavi’s reign at the Catalan club

‘To manage Barca you need to be a specific type of coach and to understand the way Barça play, so the options are much less,’ Pique told The Times. 

‘The obvious ones are [Pep] Guardiola, because he had his past here, and he is the best coach right now, and [Mikel] Arteta. He would be a good one also. He understands Barcelona and played for Barca in the past.’

After Xavi announced his upcoming departure, Spanish media claimed Arteta had told his backroom staff at the Emirates that he could take the job.

However, the Arsenal boss rebuffed the claims prior to the club’s clash with Nottingham Forest in January.

Pique noted that the ‘obvious’ choices for Barca are Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola

‘That’s totally fake news. I don’t know where it is coming from and it is totally untrue. I am really upset about it.

‘I could not believe it. It has no source. It has got nothing and I think we have to be very cautious when you talk about personal things.’