Two frontrunners emerged for the Barcelona job while Joan Laporta and Deco clashed for preferences
Barcelona is nothing if not attached to politics, internal and external, and forward is a crucial cycle. While the Blaugrana look for his replacement Xavi Hernandez, the Director Sporting Deco and the president Joan Laporta have to find a method of compromise, or use a powerplay.
That's because the pair have a fundamental disagreement about what kind of coach Barcelona should go for, so to speak AS Diary. When Deco took over the role last summer, the word was that he would have full power in the sporting department, and that will be put to the test in the coming months as he tries to rebuild a Barcelona team that has lost his way. now coach.
Laporta is of the opinion that Barcelona should go after a leader, in many ways referring to a brand name. His dream sign would be Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp, but it does not seem to be in the market as things are, but he is also attracted by the idea of Thomas Tuchel or Julian Nagelsmann. However, the frontrunner is Hansi Flick, who is available, and who has learned Spanish.
FlickThe 58-year-old won the sextuple with Bayern Munich, including an 8-2 humbling of Barcelona in the quarter-finals, before a disappointing spell with Germany that saw them exit the group stage of the 2020 World Cup .
Deco is of the opinion that Barcelona should go for a lower profile manager, who is looking to take the next step in his career, and is used to being able to adapt to what they are given. In his mind Sergio Conceição is the best candidate as things are.
The manager of Porto will leave Dragao at the end of the season, he has a record of using young people, and is also represented by Jorge Mendes. Those links are given as a reason that Conceicao would make a good candidate, but as Javi Miguel notes, Laporta tends to get his way at the Blaugrana, and that would make Flick the favorite.
If one of the benefits of Conceicao is his agent, it is another major red flag for the way Barcelona has been managed, and how Deco considers the role. Conceicao undoubtedly has a long history of success as a senior coach, but he has not managed a club of Barcelona's stature. Meanwhile Flick came from a very different culture, and has only had success as a senior coach at Bayern over the past two decades.
