Barcelona Next Manager Odds: Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi in to 3/1

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has moved in to 3/1 to replace Xavi as Barcelona manager at the end of the season.

Xavi confirmed his decision in the aftermath of Barcelona's 5-3 defeat at home to Villarreal in January with the Catalan club having endured a difficult campaign after winning the La Liga title last term.

We've priced up a market for Next Barcelona Manager, with ex-Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick and current Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi currently the two frontrunners.

Next Barcelona Manager Odds

Previously head coach of Qatari club Al Sadd, Xavi was appointed manager of Barcelona in November 2021 following Ronald Koeman's sacking.

The legendary midfielder led Barcelona to the Supercopa de Espana and La Liga titles in his first full season, which were the club's first trophies since Lionel Messi's departure to PSG.

But the current campaign has fell short of expectations, with Barcelona suffering a 4-2 defeat to Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals and slipping out of the race for the league title.

Their only chance of silverware in the current campaign lies in the Champions League, where they will meet Napoli in the last 16.

Upon confirmation of his pending departure, Xavi described the job as "cruel and unpleasant", and whoever succeeds him faces an extremely difficult task to keep Barcelona competitive amid their current financial woes.

Hansi Flick

Serving as Joachim Low's trusted assistant manager with the Germany national team between 2006 and 2014, Hansi Flick helped inspire his country to 2014 World Cup glory in Brazil.

Having represented Bayern Munich for five years between 1985 and 1990 during his playing career, Flick became the Bavarian giants' manager in December 2019, initially on an interim basis, and helped deliver a sensational Treble of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League during the 2019/20 campaign.

Flick stood down as Bayern boss at the end of the 2020/21 season to take up the top job with the Germany national team, but endured a difficult two year tenure in charge of his country with the Germans crashing out in the group stages of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was relieved of his duties in September 2023.

The 53-year-old now appears keen to return to club management with the prospect of taking the reins at Barcelona likely to entice the German.

Roberto De Zerbi

Arriving at Brighton in September 2022 as a much lauded young coach, having enjoyed particular success as Sassuolo boss between 2018 and 2021, Roberto De Zerbi has emerged as one of the most promising managers in Europe during his tenure with the Seagulls to date.

Inspiring Brighton to a top seven finish in the Premier League in his first season in charge to guide the club into Europe for the first ever time, De Zerbi's progressive style of play has earned widespread plaudits in England.

Given Barcelona's traditions of tiki-taka, possession based football, the installation of a young up-and-coming manager such as De Zerbi who endorses this tactical approach may be appealing to the club's hierarchy.

Rafael Marquez

Marquez seemingly succumbed to the pressure of the media and admitted it would be difficult to turn down the opportunity of managing the first team following Xavi's departure.

The Mexican is currently the manager of Barcelona's B team, whom he's been in charge of since July 2022.

Barcelona have a track record of promoting from within, with Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Tito Villanova just some of the names that have made the transition from the club's reserve side to the first team.

Jurgen Klopp

Klopp shocked the world of football after announcing he will be departing Liverpool at the end of the campaign, bringing down the curtain on a trophy-laden eight-and-a-half years at Anfield.

His contract was due to run until 2026 but the German cited how a lack of energy was the main reason behind his surprise exit.

Ruling himself out of ever managing another Premier League club and declaring he had no interest in taking over as the next manager of the German national team, it's expected Klopp will be taking a break from football for the foreseeable future.

Mikel Arteta

Rumours have already began to emanate from the Spanish press regarding Arteta's future, with the Arsenal manager having reportedly been shortlisted for the Barcelona job.

Arteta already has ties to the club having began his playing career at La Masia, while his managerial apprenticeship under Catalan darling Pep Guardiola make him an ideal candidate.

After enduring a difficult start to his tenure, Arteta has transformed Arsenal's fortunes. They fell just short in their pursuit of a Premier League title last campaign and while he only has an FA Cup trophy to show for his efforts so far, the Gunners have prospered with the ex-Everton midfielder at the helm.

Michel Sanchez

Michel is one of the hottest managerial names in Europe having elevated Girona from obscurity to La Liga title contenders.

The 48-year-old orchestrated Girona's joint-highest finish in the Spanish top flight last term but has exceeded expectations this time out, moulding a squad full of exuberant talents into La Liga's free-scoring, perennial entertainers.

His work at Girona has demonstrated his ability to improve individuals and Michel has experience of working within tight budget constraints.