After the defeat vs Girona, this is the coach chosen to replace Xavi at Barcelona

Barcelona suffered this Sunday a tough defeat in La Liga. They were facing Girona, the leaders of the standings along with Real Madrid. Los Merengues had drawn 1-1 against Real Betis on Saturday, so the Catalan side knew that if they could get a win at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys in Montjuic, they could move closer to the top of the league.

But it all went wrong for them. They started by losing through Dovbyk's goal and then Robert Lewandowski scored the equaliser, but before the break the visitors scored the second through Gutierrez. And in the second half things didn't get any better as Fernandez increased the lead. Ilkay Gundogan gave Los Cules hope, but Cristian Stuani finally made it 4-2.

The defeat left Barcelona in a difficult situation: they are now 7 points off the top, while Real Madrid are also above them and Atlético Madrid caught up with them despite having a game in hand. This, coupled with the team's poor performances, has caused criticism of the players, but especially of Xavi Hernandez. Many believe that the coach has made strategic mistakes and has not made good decisions in several games.

So it is not surprising that there are rumors about Xavi's possible departure. And not only that. Names of possible replacements are also mentioned. On the TV show 'El Chiringuito de Jugones', journalist Carlos Fité said: "If Laporta were to sack Xavi, his replacement would be Rafa Márquez".

Who is he?

Rafael Marquez is a former Mexican player who shone at Barcelona between 2003 and 2010, winning two Champions League titles there and being part of Pep Guardiola's legendary team. After his retirement in 2018, he began his career as a coach and currently manages Barcelona Atlétic, the club's subsidiary team that competes in Spain's third division. And there things are going well for him, as they are in fifth place in the standings, in the playoff qualification zone.