Xavi open to being Qatar World Cup coach

The Barcelona great, 37, who currently plays in Qatar for Al Sadd, said he is "90 percent" certain to retire at the end of this season and then launch his coaching career.

Xavi Hernandez has been in Qatar since 2015 and wants to coach on the biggest stage.

Xavi Hernandez said he's open to being Qatar's coach when it hosts the 2022 World Cup and rebuffed his critics by claiming he is "very proud" to be in Doha. The Barcelona great, 37, who currently plays in Qatar for Al Sadd, said he is "90 percent" certain to retire at the end of this season and then launch his coaching career. And the World Cup winner says he wants to coach on the biggest stage.

Asked if that mean being Qatar's coach in 2022, he replied: "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."

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The Spanish 2010 World Cup winner added: "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."

Qatar failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, which means that in 2022 it will become the first nation to host football's biggest tournament without ever playing in a finals since Italy in 1934.

It had three coaches during the qualification period and currently Xavi's fellow Spaniard Felix Sanchez is in temporary charge.

Xavi — who also said it was his "dream" to coach Barcelona — has been in Qatar since 2015. He signed a two-year contract, extended by 12 months, which ends in 2018. Qatar has come under intense scrutiny over corruption and labour abuse allegations since winning the right to host the World Cup.

That criticism has heightened during the ongoing Gulf political crisis, which has seen Qatar isolated by neighbouring countries, and fresh calls for FIFA to take the tournament from Doha.

As Qatar football's biggest star, Xavi, who is already an ambassador for the 2022 tournament, has also found himself criticised for playing in the emirate.

But Xavi says he is unconcerned. "People don't know the country, the work they are doing here," he added. "I would invite them to come here and then they can see — but I am very proud to be here."