Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez open to being Qatar's coach in 2022 FIFA World Cup

Barcelona, Oct 18: Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has revealed that he is open to being Qatar's coach when it hosts the 2022 World Cup.

Xavi joined Barcelona as an 11-year-old and became a legend at the club playing in the first team for 17 years. He made 767 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan outfit, winning eight La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys and four Champions League crowns before leaving Camp Nou for Qatar based side Al Sadd in 2015.

The 37-year-old is currently maintaining a dual role of player and coach there and earlier revealed that he wishes to return to Barcelona one day as a coach. Xavi has been working as an assistant to compatriot Felix Sanchez since the latter was appointed interim Qatar coach in July.

The midfielder will retire from playing career this season to concentrate more on a coaching career and recently while talking about the possibility of coaching the country he is playing in, he said: "Why not? I think it would be nice to be a coach here for the national team.

"We will see. I need experience, I need staff, I need everything but at least I know the Qatari players, I know the environment here. I am here to help them to be better, to compete well at this World Cup. I think my aim is to be the head coach."

The World Cup and Euro winner also suggested that he wishes to follow the path of some of his former Barcelona coaches and he started to think about a managerial career two or three years back.

"I think that we must follow this legacy of Johann Cruyff, of Frank Rijkaard, [Louis] van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, not only in Barcelona but also in the world of football," he said. "Everybody enjoyed our style, in Barcelona and the national team. I think we have to follow this way."

"I started to think as a coach two or three years ago," he added.

Xavi will begin his full time learning of coaching courses in Madrid from next year.