Thomas Tuchel hints at interest in Barcelona job after Xavi exit

Thomas Tuchel has hinted at his interest in taking over at Barcelona after Xavi Hernandez announced he will be stepping down from his managerial post in the summer.

Xavi confirmed that he intends to leave Barca at the end of the 2023/24 season on Saturday evening following yet another damaging defeat for his side - this time a horrid 5-3 thumping at the hands of Villarreal in La Liga which left La Blaugrana ten points adrift arch rivals Real Madrid in the table.

Following the shock announcement, Tuchel has been one of the names thrown into the mix as a potential replacement for the outgoing Catalan coach.

Speaking at a Bayern Munich fan club event in Heidenheim, Tuchel added fuel to those rumours by admitting the a move abroad "would appeal", citing Spain as a particularly interesting potential landing spot.

"Moving abroad would appeal to me again. Spain has an extraordinary league," admitted Tuchel.

"From my perspective, and based on my experience working with Spaniards, they are characterised by a tremendous amount of self-confidence.

"When you speak with Spanish players, I quickly get the sense that you are engaging with the person."

The German manager is currently under a bit of pressure at Bayern, with the Bavarians trailing Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga title race despite signing Harry Kane during the summer transfer window.

Levekusen's lead atop of the table was, however, reduced to just two points at the weekend. Tuchel's side capitalised on Leverkusen's disappointing 0-0 draw against Borussia Monchengladbach with a 3-2 victory over Augsburg on Saturday.

Kane was once again among the goalscorers for the Bundesliga title holders - Aleksandar Pavlovic and Alphonso Davies also go in the scoring action in the win at the WWK ARENA.

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