De Zerbi is the first candidate to replace Xavi after his departure from Barcelona

Yesterday, within the framework of the 22nd round of the Spanish La Liga, Barcelona faced Villarreal as the visiting team. The match proved to be highly entertaining and intense, yet the guests emerged victorious with a score of 5-3. After the match, the head coach of the Catalan club, Xavi Hernandez, made a statement that he would leave the club at the end of the season.

Now, the question remains open as to who will succeed the Spaniard as the head coach. Earlier, we reported that the successor to Xavi could be former Barcelona player Thiago Motta. However, according to information from the Mail on Sunday, the leading contender is the current Brighton manager, Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian specialist is also linked to Liverpool, especially after Jürgen Klopp made a similar statement about leaving at the end of the season. In addition to De Zerbi, the head coach of Barcelona's reserve team, Rafa Marquez, who previously played for Barcelona, and Wolverhampton's coach, Julen Lopetegui, are also contenders for the position of head coach.

De Zerbi was appointed as the head coach of Brighton in September 2022, having previously managed Shakhtar Donetsk. In his first season as the coach of the "Seagulls," De Zerbi led the team to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they lost to Manchester United.

In the previous season, Brighton finished seventh in the Premier League, securing qualification for the UEFA Europa League and marking the club's first-ever participation in a European competition. In the current season, Brighton is once again in seventh place in the top English division, accumulating 32 points in 21 games. De Zerbi is known as a very modern coach, aligning with Barcelona's playing style philosophy.