Izuchukwu Okosi
By Izuchukwu Okosi
New Barcelona manager Xavi has sensationally revealed that he turned down the opportunity to coach the Brazil national team to seal his return to his old stomping ground at Camp Nou.
Xavi was introduced to the supporters on Saturday and is expected to take charge of his first training session on Tuesday.
Barcelona struck a deal with Qatari side Al Sadd to buy Xavi out of his contract and he has now confirmed how close he was to get the Samba job.
“Yes, it is true that I spoke with Brazil,” he confessed in his presentation (via Marca). “The idea was to help Tite and take over the team after the World Cup [in 2022].
“My dream was to come to Barcelona. I feel prepared, with a lot of confidence. I believe that this is the right moment.”
Xavi feels that he is ready to take up the onerous task of rebuilding the team that seemingly fell apart after the exits of Luis Suarez and ultimately Lionel Messi.
“The first two times that Barcelona came calling, we didn’t feel good about it, either at a family or at a football level,” he admitted. “I felt that it was too early.
“Then, with the elections in between, it did not seem like the right moment. Now, with Joan, I have a very good relationship. I think he is the best president that this club has ever had. He called me and I had no doubts.
“I know that Joan is a guy who talks openly and speaks clearly. I see that the board look after the club.”
Xavi’s first game in charge is against cross city rivals Espanyol on Saturday 20 November followed by Benfica in the Champions League.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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