Doors completely closed, windows boarded up tightly, and even the smallest crack was well sealed. Barcelona, in case Xavi did not change his mind, did a first scan of the coaching market and realized that this year there was no way to sneak in. All the great technicians are caught, with a valid contract and those who are not, want to rest for a while. The conclusion at Barça was that there was no one better than the Egarense to sit on the bench next season. Something else will be in 2025.
What do Guardiola, Luis Enrique, Xabi Alonso, Arteta and Iraola have in common? The five Spanish strategists have shone this season and all five of them are free on June 30, 2025. That will be the summer of the coaches, because most of the stars on the boards will then be available. The wait will be worth it.
One of those who will be able to change scene is precisely the Blaugrana's executioner in the Champions League. Luis Enrique, who confessed that it was very difficult for him to face Barça, left ajar the possibility of one day returning to direct the Barça with which he won the treble in 2015. Normally coaches do not stay too long at PSG. Laurent Blanc (2013-2016) was the last to complete three consecutive seasons on the Parisian bench. We must not forget that the first one to hire the Asturian was Laporta to put him in charge of the reserve team in 2008.
Mikel Arteta also has a Barcelona past and will end his contract that same year. The Basque is very identified with the Arsenal project, where this year is his fifth. He has been fighting for the Premier League for several seasons and changing would be a challenge. A more groundbreaking version would be Andoni Iraola who has stood out at Bournemouth – which Deco studied – but who lacks experience at a big club.
After winning the Bundesliga with the surprising Bayer, Xabi Alonso will keep his word of spending two years in Leverkusen. But it is difficult for a third to stay, and even more so knowing that some of the teams in which he left his mark, such as Liverpool and Bayern, await him with open arms. At Madrid, Ancelotti has just renewed his contract until 2026.
For them it would be the return of the prodigal son just as for Barcelona fans it would be a great dream to have Pep Guardiola at the head of the team again. If he fulfills what he has signed with City, the Santpedor coach will have spent nine years in Manchester, which is more than double the four seasons that lasted his successful time at the Camp Nou, where he left in 2012. In 2025 he will have 54 years.
Three years older than Pep is Jürgen Klopp, who leaves Liverpool in two months, exhausted from a cycle of nine seasons. The German school, with his pressure, is one of those that draws the most attention to President Laporta. Klopp needs to rest and will take a year off. After managing in his country and in the Premier, the Spanish League could seduce him in 2025.
