Barcelona suffered their heaviest loss since 1940 after Bayern Munich thrashed them by an 8-2 scoreline in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals on Friday night. The Catalans crumbled under pressure and were lucky to concede just eight goals in the game as the Bavarian giants had plenty of chances to break into the double-figure mark. That in itself should be quite humiliating for a club of Barca’s size and global status. The last time they shipped in eight goals in a game was against Sevilla back in 1940 when there were no super teams in Europe. Hence, there might be some significant changes made at the Nou Camp in the aftermath of that defeat.
The first to go could very well be the Barca manager, Quique Setien, whose insistence not to change his team’s tactics of playing the ball out from the back even when Bayern were four goals up, led to what ended up becoming a nightmare for anyone associated with the Catalan club. Therefore, it is very likely that he might get the sack this summer.
Let’s take a look at three managerial candidates for Barca to consider as a replacement for Setien ahead of the new season.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentine manager is currently free to join a new club after parting ways with Tottenham Hotspur back in November 2019. He was the Spurs head coach for 293 matches and managed to secure 1.84 points per game during his time at North London.
Pochettino even managed to steer his Tottenham team to the UEFA Champions League final last season when Liverpool beat them with a 2-0 scoreline. The 48-year-old has shown time and again that he can work on a limited budget and can play an attractive brand of football which would suit Barca’s philosophy on the pitch. Thus, it makes sense for the Spanish outfit to make a move for Pochettino this summer.
Xavi
The 40-year-old has taken charge of 28 matches for Al Sadd, picking up 1.75 points per game thus far. Despite not having the same experience as the other managers in this list, Xavi has one thing going for him in the race for the head coach job at the Nou Camp. The Spaniard loves the club and knows it from inside out. He is well-aware of what the expectations are from a club of Barca’s stature and could be an intelligent choice for the Barca board to consider before the start of the new campaign.
Massimiliano Allegri
The Livorno-born manager has a wealth of managerial experience in Italy and could be an excellent option for the Catalans to consider in this off-season. His previous club was Juventus where he managed 271 matches, earning 2.27 points per game on his way to winning multiple silverware at Turin.
Allegri’s managerial C.V. makes him an ideal choice to be Setien’s successor as he has what it takes to manage a top club like Barcelona without being crumbled by all the pressure. Plus, the Italian head coach’s track record of winning trophies only makes him more appealing in the race for the managerial job at the Nou Camp.
