What Xavi Hernandez has said about joining Manchester United as Erik ten Hag sacked

Xavi Hernandez has already explained his feelings about joining Manchester United as Erik ten Hag has been sacked from his role as manager.

Manchester United confirmed the decision to sack Erik ten Hag on Monday morning following the weekend’s defeat against West Ham.

The Dutch manager has left the club sitting 14th in the Premier League and 21st in the new-look Europa League table.

Several managers have been touted as options to replace the manager in recent weeks and now INEOS are searching for the right man to lead the club forward.

Xavi Hernandez feels “attachment” to Man United

Xavi Hernandez, the former Barcelona player and manager, is among the options to be linked to the United job.

He departed his role as manager at the Camp Nou earier this year and has not returned to the game in any capacity.

This would be an attraction for United, who would not need to pay a club componsation to remove him from his position, and he has also previously explained his affection for the Old Trafford side.

Speaking to Spanish football journalist Graham Hunter in 2011, Xavi had admitted to considering an offer from United as a player due to his “real attachment” with the English club.

“There was a long time when I genuinely thought about accepting United’s offer. I needed a change of scenery and things were not going well for me at Barcelona,” he said, as per ESPN.

“I have always felt a real attachment to English football and Manchester United would be ‘my club’ there. For a long chunk of my career, when it looked to people like I was Pep Guardiola’s successor in midfield, I was made to feel, by some, like an outsider, like a bad guy for taking over from the legendary captain.

“We are not good at handling change here [at Barca]. I hated all that debate about ‘me and Pep,’ and Louis van Gaal [then-Barcelona manager] wasn’t particularly tactful to put an 18-year-old kid through it. What eventually made the difference is that I’m as stubborn as a mule: I thought about moving to United, but I dug my heels in. I said to myself ‘I need to prove myself here!'”

Ten Hag sacked as Man United manager

The decision to sack Ten Hag came after the club’s 2-1 loss against West Ham on the weekend, with the club explaining that Ruud van Nistelrooy would take over on an interim basis until a permanent boss is found.

“Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager,” a club statement read.

“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.

“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”

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