Joan Laporta confirms Rafael Marquez is in contention to replace Xavi

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 03 February 2024

Laporta confirms Marquez is in contention to replace Xavi

Barcelona president Joan Laporta says that Barcelona B manager Rafael Marquez "is not ruled out" when it comes to a replacement for first-team head coach Xavi.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said that Rafael Marquez "is not ruled out" when it comes to a replacement for first-team head coach Xavi.

Following last weekend's 5-3 home loss to Villarreal, Xavi announced that he would be standing down as manager of the Catalan outfit at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

Laporta has opened the door on a return to Camp Nou for Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola, while Jurgen Klopp, who is leaving Liverpool this summer, has also been linked with the role.

A recent report said that Marquez, who is in charge of Barcelona B, was firmly in the frame for the position, with Laporta believed to be a huge admirer of the club's former centre-back.

The 44-year-old represented Barcelona as a player between 2003 and 2010, winning four La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and two Champions League trophies during a successful spell.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta speaks during the board meeting on September 13, 2023 © Reuters

Marquez has been in charge of Barcelona B since July 2022, and the Mexican has expressed an interest in replacing Xavi at the helm.

"Who wouldn't want to be Barca coach? I will continue working hard, it's only my second season as a coach", Mundo Deportivo quoted Marquez as saying last week.

"The board will have time to think carefully between now and the end of the season. But, you can't say no to an opportunity like this!"

Laporta has now revealed that Marquez "is not ruled out" when it comes to the race to replace Xavi, with Jose Mourinho also thought to be in the frame.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta during the press conference on February 1, 2022 © Reuters

"He is not ruled out. He's coming up in the club, he's known the club and he knows the players who are coming up. He is an asset," the president told RAC1.

"At the moment, the sporting structure of the club, when I say it is ready for emergency, was for this. The club is ready to put the second coach in the first team.

"It is in Deco's hands the new coach. We are working on different options. I am focused on the end of the season. I have to keep a cool head. I have full confidence in Xavi until the end of the season.

"This is for Deco to decide. I have not spoken to any coach. Things are limited. A coach with a certain track record has to come in, unless we make a more imaginative decision."

Xavi said that the "club needs a change of dynamic" following the defeat to Villarreal, but the 44-year-old did manage to lead the team to a 1-0 victory over Osasuna in La Liga on Wednesday night.