You’d be lying in broad daylight if you expected Barcelona to part ways with Xavi. The Catalan team has taken a surprising U-turn in their stance, with the club sacking their manager just weeks after begging him to stay for another season. It seems like the plan to sack the manager was in the pipeline for a while, with the club already appointing his successor. Former Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick will lead the Blaugrana as their manager starting next season with Joan Laporta green-lighting the German’s arrival.

While removing Xavi seems like a rushed decision, the appointment of Hansi Flick could help Barcelona build a new unit. The German tactician has had a decorated career winning the Bundesliga title twice, the UEFA Champions League trophy once and the FIFA Club World Cup, among other top honors. Flick served as Joachim Low’s assistant manager in the 2014 World Cup and was appointed the head coach after the latter’s departure in 2021.

In his managerial career, Hansi Flick has managed Bayern Munich, TSG Hoffenheim, and the German national team. The German tactician during this tenure has 306 games under his belt with a 56.2% win rate. Flick’s best run as a manager came during his time at Bayern with the manager bagging 70 wins and 8 draws in his 86 appearances with the club. Meanwhile, Xavi’s run left a lot to be desired with the Barcelona head coach bagging 89 wins and 29 draws in his 141 appearances as a manager for Blaugrana.

Xavi vs Hansi Flick: An in-depth comparison

While both Xavi and Hansi Flick are skilled managers in their own rights, the German has an upper hand over his predecessor when it comes to experience. While Xavi got his first taste of the top flight with Barcelona, Flick made a name for himself with Hoffenheim before moving to the Allianz Arena. Additionally, Flick won the German Manager of the Year in the 2019/20 season following up with the UEFA Manager of the Year award in the following campaign.

It will be interesting to see if Hansi Flick can produce similar results after taking over as the Barcelona head coach. The manager’s attacking tactics could help the team develop into a new side as Barcelona look to bounce back from their poor La Liga campaign under Xavi. Do you think Hansi Flick is the right man for the job at FC Barcelona? Let us know in the comments below.