The players’ want Xavi Hernandez as the new Barcelona coach

Spanish newspaper AS reported yesterday that the Barcelona dressing room wants elections and Xavi Hernandez (photo) as the coach to replace Setien.

Gerard Piqué’s senior colleagues agree with his call for “structural” change after Friday’s Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich.

Barcelona’s dressing room is in no doubt: the Catalan club need to call presidential elections.

“I hope something can come from this humiliation,” Piqué said. “We need to take stock - and changes are needed at the club. I’m not talking about the players or the coaching staff, but something more structural. We have to change the direction we’ve been heading in for a number of years now. We’ve hit rock bottom.”

Players accept their portion of the blame for the Bayern battering – but also look to club president Josip Maria Bartomeu.

AS went on to say that the players felt they weren’t well enough prepared tactically and have not been helped by squad planning that has yielded an unbalanced first-team group.

Like Piqué, other senior players are willing to fall on their sword if that helps to get the club back on course. However, they also expect the president to be brave enough to do what’s best for Barça and call elections (due in summer 2021) ahead of schedule. The newspaper quoted one player as saying: “The atmosphere is too strained.” “Things won’t be put right by making the odd signing, by bringing in a fresh face or two; we need a reset.”

AS also said that Spanish radio station Cadena COPE had reported that Lionel Messi has demanded that elections be called; otherwise, he won’t be planning on renewing his contract in 2021, his camp says. “Right now, we need new ideas, new faces and new plans,” is the word from within a devastated dressing room.

And former club captain Xavi Hernandez is known to be the players’ choice to turn Barcelona around, replacing Quique Setien who is set to be sacked following the humiliating defeat.

However, rumours are already going around that even former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is on the candidates’ list.