Joan Laporta meets with agent Pini Zahavi in Barcelona.
Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, and Pini Zahavi, representative of Robert Lewandowski and coach Hansi Flick, among other top players and coaches, met this Monday at one of Barcelona’s most renowned restaurants, Botafumeiro, for over two hours. According to Roger Torello of Mundo Deportivo, Laporta and Zahavi have had a strong relationship for years, which has been further reinforced following the signing of the Polish forward.
Given this close friendship, it’s evident that Barcelona is analyzing the market for the future coach to succeed Xavi Hernández, who announced in late January that he would leave the club at the end of the season. While there’s no firm decision on the next coach yet, Barcelona cannot afford to delay given Xavi’s reminder of the club’s importance. Hansi Flick, being a free agent, is a strong candidate due to Barcelona’s financial constraints, and his interest in the project adds to his appeal. Pini Zahavi, who also attended the Barça-Napoli match, previously visited Barcelona in late February to watch the Barça-Getafe game, sparking rumors of negotiations with Flick.
However, Deco, the sports director, recently stated that they have yet to decide on Xavi’s successor and have not initiated talks with any future coach due to other priorities in planning the next season. While reports emerged of a meeting between Flick and Laporta, Flick’s camp denied this information, but the meeting between Laporta and Zahavi has indeed taken place, with any potential meeting with Flick to be scheduled later.
