Xavi Hernandez to make managerial debut in Palamos, Catalonia
Al-Sadd will kick off their preseason against the lower league side in July
After hanging up his boots in May and being officially named as the new coach of Qatari side Al-Sadd, Xavi's managerial debut now has a venue and a date. It will not come in an official game, but it will be somewhere close to home.
Xavi's coaching career will kick off on Sunday, July 21, with a friendly against Palamos CF at the Estadi Palamós-Costa Brava at 20.00h local time on the Catalan coast, 100km away from his native Terrassa.
The former Barcelona midfielder has now completed his UEFA Pro licence, which allows him to manage at the top level, a course which he finished with the RFEF recently. Víctor Valdés, Xabi Alonso, Joan Capdevila and Raúl González, among others, were also on the course
Xavi has always spoken of his desire to move into coaching. He will start in Qatar, with the club he ended his professional career at. It seems the ideal place for him to get started and get some experience ahead of more ambitious challenges in the future.
Back at Barça, the club are rubbing their hands together at the idea. There are many people who see him taking on a similar role to Pep Guardiola in his day. Xavi has always stood out for his understanding of the game and his Barça DNA.
