Mourinho spotted in Barcelona as Xavi feels pressure
Jose Mourinho has been linked with a plethora of teams since departing Roma last week. This includes a potential move to Major League Soccer, Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab, Napoli, and the Brazil national team. Middle Eastern news outlets have even claimed that the self-described “Special One” already has a verbal agreement in place with the Saudi club.
Nevertheless, separate reports also indicate a possible meeting between Mourinho and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis. The reigning Serie A champions are struggling mightily under Walter Mazzarri. De Laurentiis already made a managerial change earlier in the current campaign, but the club still sits ninth in the Italian top flight.
Barca struggling to keep up in LaLiga title race
Now, however, Mourinho has been spotted in Barcelona by local television cameras. Although the Spanish city is typically a top travel destination for anyone, the coach’s arrival in the Catalonia city is particularly interesting.
Like Napoli, Barca is also underperforming in their domestic league as well. While they are not sitting mid-table at the moment, the Spanish giants have struggled to keep up with other top teams. Bitter rivals Real Madrid are now seven points clear of Barca in the current LaLiga standings. This is an unacceptable position for the club to be in.
Not only is Barca falling behind their rivals, but they are also eight points back in the title race. Girona has shocked the soccer world by grabbing, and remaining, in the top spot of the Spanish league. Historically not a very successful club, the Blanquivermells have become one of the best underdog stories in all of Europe.
With Barca struggling, head coach Xavi has been in the hot seat for some time now. This comes as the former midfield star only just guided the team to the LaLiga title last season. Nevertheless, the Barca job is one of the most demanding coaching positions in the world.
Despite the pressure, Xavi claims to be “calm” regarding his precarious situation. “I am calm, with three titles still in front of us and the same excitement as the first day,” the coach told reporters last week. “I know exactly where I am, I know the club perfectly.”
Would Barcelona want Mourinho as his prowess wears off?
Assuming Barca brass eventually moves on from Xavi, they would want to steer clear of appointing Mourinho. The Portuguese manager has one of the most impressive résumés in the entire sport. After all, he has collected a series of major trophies throughout his career with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Madrid.
However, it certainly seems as if “the Special One” has lost his touch in recent years. After guiding Manchester United to smaller titles, Mourinho endured a dry spell with Tottenham Hotspur. It was also his shortest stint as a head coach since departing União de Leiria for Porto way back in 2002.
After leaving Spurs, Mourinho took his time with his options and eventually chose Roma. Despite collecting the third-tiered UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022, the Italian club finished sixth in 2022/23. Roma then dropped down to ninth in the current campaign before parting ways with their manager.
Mourinho also recorded his lowest-ever win rate while with Spurs. Nevertheless, he eventually broke this unwanted record during his spell with Roma. Mourinho managed to win just 49% of his matches with the Italian club.
Not only is he not winning like he used to, but Mourinho also still brings baggage wherever he goes. During his time with Roma, the contentious coach reportedly clashed with team brass over the direction of the club. As Barca already has financial concerns, they would do well not to add more combative figures to the team.
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