Xavi back home as fans expect revitalization

Eventually, after weeks of speculations and rumors, Xavi Hernandez was appointed as the new head coach of Barcelona on Friday.

The Liga giants had earlier sacked Ronald Koeman due to his poor run with the team this season. Officials of the club hope that acquiring a familiar face could improve the conditions of the team.

In a statement on Friday, Qatar’s Al Sadd announced the departure of Xavi. "Club administration have approved the transfer of Xavi to Barcelona after the payment of the value of the penalty clause stipulated in his contract. Xavi is considered an important part of our history and we wish him every success in the future," said the Qatari club.

Having won 25 trophies with Barcelona between 1997 and 2015, Xavi is among the most decorated players of the team in history. The 2010 World Cup winner made 767 appearances for Barcelona, standing second after Lionel Messi. He also created 185 assists and scored 85 goals during his almost 18-year-long stay at Camp Nou.

The Spaniard had left Barcelona for Qatar in 2015 and hung his boots four years later, stepping into the path of coaching.

During his second season at the helm of Al Sadd, Xavi brought home the Qatari league’s title and now he has decided that the time is ripe for a return to Catalonia.

He had rejected earlier calls for becoming Barcelona boss, citing lack of experience as the main reason. However, he had explicitly shown his interest in Barcelona. "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," he had said earlier, responding to rumors around his return to Spain.

His wish granted for the moment, Xavi will certainly have a hard task ahead in Spain as Barcelona has experienced one of their poorest runs of the early season in history. The team sit ninth in the table with 16 points from 11 matches, nine points behind the leader Real Sociedad and eight points behind arch-rivals Real Madrid.

They have not met the expectations in the UEFA Champions League with two wins and two losses, standing second in Group E and feeling the threat of elimination from the group stage.

The arrival of Xavi, however, can breeze a new air to the team which can significantly affect the performance as well as the betting odds.

Koeman failed to find the right balance in the squad after the departure of key players such as Lionel Messi and Antonio Griezmann among others. The club has acquired new players such as Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, and Memphis Depay but they are still far from their best shapes.

Barca will lock horns with Celta Vigo on Saturday and Xavi hopes to have a good start after returning home. The match will be followed with an international break which will give the young coach more time to obtain a better understanding of his team.