SPORTS
Why Xavi said no to Man Utd as details of contract offered the Spaniard emerge
Baku, February 26, AZERTAC
Manchester United also looked at other candidates before finally appointing Ruben Amorim as their head coach, with Xavi Hernandez considered as a temporary option until the end of the season, according to OneFootball.
However, it was something the former Barcelona manager was not open to, as managing the Red Devils for only six months until they got their preferred candidate did not appeal to him.
The Spaniard simply said no to Man United and will be looking forward to another opening elsewhere.
Xavi has been out of job since he left Barca at the end of last season, and his achievements with the La Liga club appealed to the decision-makers at Man United.
The 44-year-old won the 2022-23 La Liga title and Spanish Super Cup with his old club, and Jamie Carragher backed him for the Red Devils job.
However, Man United had concluded that Amorim fit most of their parameters better than any other candidate, and they eventually managed to convince him to join them now as he had floated the idea of waiting until the end of the season before moving.
He will be joining officially on November 11 and will be in the dugout when they take on Ipswich Town on November 24.
While Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly liked the idea of appointing a homegrown manager, or at least one with Premier League experience like Fulham boss Marco Silva, members of the club’s leadership committee (sporting director Dan Ashworth, CEO Omar Berrada and Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford) chose the 39-year-old instead.
They opted to cast their net wider in their search for a permanent successor to Erik ten Hag, and time will tell whether they made the right decision given that no manager has lasted beyond a third year at the Old Trafford club since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013.
