Xavi Hernández, former Barcelona midfielder has returned to the Spanish club as manager with a contract until 2024.
The Spaniard, 41, has been manager at Qatari club Al Sadd since 2019, but they agreed on Friday to let him join Barca after his release clause was met.
Xavi, who played 767 games and won 25 titles with Barca in his 17 years in the first team, left for Al Sadd in 2015, first joining the club as a player.
Barcelona say Xavi’s contract will run for the rest of the 2021 to 2022 season and two more seasons.
“It’s time to come home. Welcome, Xavi,” Barca tweeted.
Barcelona said in a statement it had reached an agreement with Xavi to become first team coach for the rest of the current season and two more seasons, replacing the sacked Ronald Koeman.
“It is expected that Xavi Hernandez will arrive in Barcelona this weekend and that on Monday 8 November his presentation as new FC Barcelona first team coach will take place in an event open to the public at Camp Nou,” it said..
In a video to fans, the two-time European Championship-winning former Spain international said: “It wasn’t goodbye, it was ‘see you soon’. The Camp Nou has always been my home.
“You’re my fans, my people, the club that I love the most. And now, I’m coming home. See you soon, Culers. Forca Barca.”
The Club struggled under financial pressures this season and failed to extend Xavi’s former team-mate Lionel Messi’s stay because of salary constraints.
Barcelona were unable to spend any money on new signings in the summer, with Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia arriving as free transfers and striker Luuk de Jong joining on loan from Sevilla.
Barca president Joan Laporta has previously said: “I have always said one day [Xavi] will be Barca’s head coach but I don’t know when.”