IN SPORT.ES
Xavi Hernandez is closer and closer to becoming the new FC Barcelona coach. On a marathon Thursday, packed with meetings and negotiations between the Barça and Al-Sadd hierarchies, the former Spain midfielder has played a vital role.
As SPORT have reported throughout the day, the Catalan coach had a key meeting with Sheikh Mohamad bin Khalifa to discuss his departure from Al-Sadd after six years in Doha -- four as a player and two as a coach.
That's not all. On Friday, he will meet with the Sheikh again to finalise the details. Barça are delighted with all he is doing to ensure the club, in a terrible financial state, don't have to pay any money to appoint him.
And not just that, but he's also working on future pacts that could be beneficial for the club.
Both vice president Rafa Yuste and director of football Mateu Alemany are experiencing in first person how the future Barça coach is going out of his way to make things work and SPORT have learned that the club are more than grateful for his effort.