Barcelona: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde's job appears in serious doubt after his club met with Xavi Hernández amid growing speculation that its former midfield great could become its next coach. Those rumors were stoked to fever pitch when Qatari club Al-Sadd - where Xavi coaches - said that Barcelona was "negotiating" with him. "There are negotiations between Xavi and Barcelona now and we wish him success wherever he decides to go," Al-Sadd's sports director Muhammad Ghulam Al Balushi told Qatari television broadcaster Alkass.

Xavi said he had met with Barcelona sports director Eric Abidal on Friday in Doha but did not reveal the nature of the meeting. He added that he is committed to coaching Al-Sadd for now. "I don't hide my dream of coaching Barcelona one day, I would love to coach the team. I support them and my dream is to train Barcelona, but now my focus is on Al-Sadd," Xavi said Saturday after his side's 4-1 win over Al-Rayyan in the Qatar Cup semifinals.