Barcelona are set to appoint former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick as the manager of the Spanish club.

This followed the removal of Xavi Hernandez as the head coach on Friday.

Barcelona announced that Xavi will take charge of Barcelona’s final game of the season against Sevilla on Sunday before leaving the club.

Xavi will depart Barcelona with the club in second place in the table, but they go into Sunday’s final day of the season 12 points behind champions Real Madrid.

The decision to sack the 44-year-old Spaniard comes a month after Barcelona persuaded him to stay on as manager after he initially planned to leave at the end of this campaign.

However, according to Sky Sports, Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Flick to become coach.

The Spanish club said they would make an announcement regarding Xavi’s replacement over the next few days.

Breaking: Barcelona sack Xavi as coach

Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also stated on X: “Hansi Flick becomes new Barcelona head coach, confirmed and here we go!

“The agreement has been completed, worked and now approved by his agent Pini Zahavi on a two year deal.

“Contract until 2026. Understand Flick will bring two German assistants as part of his staff.”

In 2000, Flick was appointed manager of fourth-division side 1899 Hoffenheim, with whom he gained promotion to the Regionalliga Sud, before departing in 2005.

Between 2006 and 2014, he was the assistant coach of Germany under manager Joachim Low as they won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and subsequently served as sporting director of the German Football Association until 2017.

Having rejoined Bayern Munich as an assistant coach in 2019, Flick was made interim manager following the departure of Niko Kovac in November 2019.

He was later appointed permanently, and won the UEFA Champions League that season, completing the club’s second continental treble.

In 2021, 59-year-old Flick also led the side to a FIFA Club World Cup and another Bundesliga title. Alongside Pep Guardiola, he is one of only two managers to achieve a sextuple with their team.

Hansi Flick later replaced Low in charge of the Germany national team in 2021, leading the team to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, before being dismissed in 2023 following a run of disappointing results.

The Star