In the early hours of January 1, 2026, Chelsea FC announced that they have parted ways with coach Enzo Maresca. This decision came after Chelsea were winless in 5 consecutive games that they face. As a result, they loosed out from the top 4 chase.
Since that decision by Chelsea, they have been discussions making the rounds about possible coaches to fill in the shoes of Enzo Maresca. Among the names mentioned has been former FC Barcelona coach, Xavi Hernandez.
In this post, we would be checking out four reasons why Xavi Hernandez should be hired as the next Chelsea FC manager. Let’s go!
Four Reasons Why Xavi Hernandez Should Be Next Chelsea Manager
Here are four reasons why Xavi Hernandez should be hired as the next Chelsea FC manager:
1. Experience With Big Players
In football, players ego can become a huge problem in the dressing room. When this situation happens to a manager, it can be really overwhelming for him.
The past Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca wass rumored to have had problems with some of his players in this regard. had problems overcoming this challenge. For instance, there were reports that some senior players in the Chelsea dressing room were not really comfortable with Enzo Maresca style of play.
Well, this is just one of the examples in the past that shows how players’ egos in the Chelsea team can become an obstacle to a manager in the course of his job.
Xavi Hernandez is one manager who has shown impeccable skills in this aspect. When it comes to player management, he is one of the best profiles for that.
Xavi Hernandez has worked with big players such as Robert Lewandowski, Dani Alves, and De Jong among others.
These were players who played at the highest level while he was coach at FC Barcelona, winning prestigious titles such as the La Liga and Copa Del Rey etc. Even with that, Xabi Hernandez maintained the discipline in the squad and there wasn’t any major fallout between him and his players.
In fact, with the FC Barcelona team, he went on to beat top sides such as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. This makes him an ideal candidate for the Chelsea FC job.
2. Gives Young Players A Chance
If there’s any coach around the world that gives opportunity to young players, then that coach is Xavi Hernandez. Over the years that he managed the FC Barcelona senior team, Xavi Hernandez gave opportunity to about 15 players.
Chelsea are a team with the highest amount of young players in the EPL with unique potentials. Yes, looking at Estavao, Tosin, Santos and the likes. They could really reach their maximum potential if they played under a manager that understand what it means to train young players. Don’t you think so?
During his time at FC Barcelona, Xavi Hernandez gave debut to players such as Lamine Yamal, Marc Guiu and even Pau Cubarsi. In time, this players have turned out to become among the respected young players in the world.
So, this is one reason why Chelsea could invest in Xavi Hernandez. The reason is because Xavi Hernandez invests in the future.
3. Pragmatic Style Of Play
Under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea have struggled to implement a style of play that is fitting to every opponent they face.
For instance, in the games leading up to Enzo Maresca’s departure from the club, the Chelsea team failed to score goals even against seemingly small opponents. It looked as if they showed fear for the opponents they faced, and as a result, couldn’t get a top 4 finish before he left. However, with Xavi Hernandez, the tactical story is different.
Xavi Hernandez is known to instill courage in his team. He is known for implementing a style of play similar to Pep Guardiola that allows his teams to be free scoring regardless of the opponents that they face.
For instance, when he was the coach of the FC Barcelona, his team was able to defeat Real Madrid multiple time in La Liga and Copa Del Rey.
There is no doubt that with him in charge of the Chelsea team, fear for opponents would be a thing of the past. With Xavi Hernandez, there’s a high chance for the Xavi Hernandez to regain the respect that was once had for the team.
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4. Neutrality In Selecting Players
When it comes to a coach like Xavi Hernandez, there’s no favoritism when it comes to selecting playersto represent Chelsea FC. This is one area where past Chelsea managers have been criticized.
Enzo Maresca was criticized several times for fielding players such as Pedro Neto and Tosin even though they had poor form. These selections are not usually based on merit but on the coaches preferences.
This is one of the reasons why the Chelsea squad is usually filled with mediocre players rather than world-class players.
Xavi Hernandez would be coming to the job with no player favoritism in mind. Of course, he is a foreign coach and, as such, would be presented with a fresh record to carry out his selection in the squad.
So, it is expected that merited players are the ones who would be called up to represent the Chelsea team by Xavi Hernandez. He has done it with the FC Barcelona and it has yielded great results.
So, this is another solid reason Xavi Hernandez should be highly considered for the Super Eagles job.
Conclusion
If Chelsea FC is looking for a coache to reach the set target for the season, then Xavi Hernandez should be the man to call. With FC Barcelona, he was able to lift the team from being 8th position to winning the La Liga ahead of Real Madrid. In addition, Xavi Hernandez was able to win Copa Del Rey and has an incredible record with managing big teams. There’s no doubt that Chelsea are looking for a manager of that profile who would come and change the season for them. Xavi Hernandez could just be the man that Chelsea are looking for.