Roberto Martinez opens up on Barca links & insists he’s fully focused on Belgium

Ronald Koeman was sacked after 14 months in charge of Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey and finished 3rd in the league. The Catalan giants notably had an awful start to their Champions League campaign this season, alongside losing three El Clasicos in a row.

After weeks of speculation, Koeman was finally sacked immediately after the 1- 0 loss to Rayo Vallecano. He was temporarily replaced by Barca B coach Sergi Barjuan while the club searched for a permanent replacement. Club legend Xavi Hernandez and Belgium coach Roberto Martinez were among the top names mentioned.

In a recent interview with COPE Network, Roberto Martínez has claimed that he was never contacted by Barcelona:

At club level, Roberto Martinez has managed Swansea, Wigan and Everton, winning the FA Cup with Wigan - their first ever - in 2013. He is currently the manager of the Belgium senior team, who have already qualified for the 2022 World Cup.

Having long been touted as a future Blaugrana coach, the dream came true for both the Xavi and the club when he was unveiled a few weeks ago.

Barcelona recently re-signed Dani Alves, with Xavi looking to instill leadership in the squad. Roberto Martinez mentioned that the signing didn't come as a surprise:

This weekend, Xavi will face an important test when Barcelona takes onto the field against Espanyol at Camp Nou. Successive games against Benfica on Tuesday and Villareal next weekend will then test the new manager's mettle. However, the outing against Bayern Munich in December will be the main exam.

Xavi is currently seeking to revamp the squad, with many reports stating that Blaugrana may sell off as many as seven players to raise funds for important transfers.