Lionel Messi's name is never too far behind whenever his former club, FC Barcelona, is mentioned. Now, amid the Catalan giants' managerial dilemma, the Argentine's name has once again come to the surface. Following the confirmation by current manager Xavi Hernandez that he will only stay until the end of the ongoing campaign, it is being suggested that Messi should be the one to take over.
The suggestion came from talkSPORT's Danny Murphy, who previously played as a midfielder for England and Premier League side Liverpool FC. He said: "I'd give it to Messi. The fans are on board straight away. Everything he touches turns to gold. He was put on this earth to do amazing things. It's not going to stop in management."
It is certain that millions of FC Barcelona fans would love to see Messi take over from his fellow club legend, but in reality, it may not be as simple as it sounds. Murphy is confident that Messi will ease seamlessly into a managerial role, but he has never been in that kind of position in the past. He is still currently an active footballer, having just signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Inter Miami CF last summer.
Messi's contract with the Fort Lauderdale based side runs until 2025, making it less likely for him to take on the vacant position back in Barcelona. However, just like Xavi, it is also not entirely impossible for him to drop everything if his beloved club calls him back.
However, it is unclear if a club as big as Barcelona would gamble their fate on someone who has never managed a squad before, even if he is as good of a player as Messi. The Argentine may have won eight Ballon d' Or trophies and lifted many more trophies for club and country as a player, but that does not necessarily mean that he will be a successful manager.
In fact, some of the best managers did not have highly successful careers as players in their younger days. Needless to say, his prowess as a player may be an advantage, but it is by no means a guarantee of success, especially without any managerial experience.
Xavi himself is a testament to that, after having enjoyed a massively successful career as a professional player both for FC Barcelona and for the Spanish National Team. He did turn out to be a massively successful coach in Qatar, which eventually led to a two-and-a-half year spell in charge at Barcelona.
He arrived amid a lot of optimism, and even led the club to the Spanish Super Cup and La Liga titles last season. However, the pressure has since taken its toll on his mental health, and he has admitted that he will have to call time on his stint by the coming summer.
This has led to a flurry of speculations as to who will take over, and Messi's name is not the only one that has emerged. Recently unemployed manager Jose Mourinho is an option, as well as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who also announced that he will be leaving the Reds at the end of the season.
Even Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now being linked with the job. In any case, Messi has previously declared that he fully intends to rejoin Barcelona at some point once his playing career is over. However, he hinted at a more administrative role such as sporting director. It remains to be seen if the managerial position might appeal to him. For now, nothing has been decided and everyone involved will be focusing on the second half of the season which is still left to play.
Barcelona are still in contention for the UEFA Champions League and even La Liga, even though they are currently eight points behind leaders Girona. Meanwhile, Messi is looking forward to his first full season with Inter Miami, and they are currently playing in the Riyadh Season Cup as part of their pre-season tour.
