Who will replace cancer-stricken coach Tito?

Posted Monday, July 22, 2013 by The Sun

RELAPSE ... Tito Vilanova was forced to step down from his role after throat cancer returned

REPLACING Tito Vilanova is a far more daunting prospect for Barcelona than it was to find Pep Guardiola’s successor.

Vilanova was part of the Guardiola set-up.

He was the No 2 and his promotion was a natural step.

And for insiders a necessary one to give a squad sated by a glut of titles new impetus.

Luis Enrique last night emerged as the front-runner among 12 candidates to succeed cancer-stricken Vilanova.

The former Barcelona and Real Madrid star could yet quit Celta Vigo weeks after taking the reins to boss his old club.

He started his coaching career as Barca’s reserve-team manager, just like Guardiola, and his stock in the Catalan club remains high despite an average stint at Roma after he left.

Newell’s Old Boys boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino is the second favourite and he will come with fellow Argentinian Lionel Messi’s seal of approval.

Barca insiders insisted last night at least three candidates were still being considered.

In several polls among Barcelona fans, however, Jupp Heynckes and ex-Athletic Bilbao chief Marcelo Bielsa were the far more popular options than the first two.

Heynckes is the architect of the all-conquering Bayern Munich who spanked Barca 7-0 on aggregate in the Champions League semis.

The 68-year-old would be a stop-gap. He can make necessary adjustments to Barcelona’s game to plug the holes so strikingly exposed by his Bayern last term.

But he ruled himself out last night, saying he has his “hobbies and a great garden to tend to”.

Bielsa plays the attacking game so loved by Catalan fans but had a poor season at Bilbao after losing his two top stars, Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez.

Whoever is appointed this week faces a tough task taking the reins so suddenly.

Despite a record-equalling Liga with 100 points, Barcelona are still recovering from the shock of their Champions League humiliation.

Confidence, while not exactly low, is not sky-high either.

Despite the capture of £50million Neymar, they have eye-catching weaknesses.

They want Thiago Silva from Paris Saint-Germain to shore up a suspect backline. PSG snubbed Barca’s offer for their Brazil star.

Barca have David Luiz as well as Daniel Agger in their sights.

Bayern exposed their midfield is also in need of a significant revamp. Xavi, at 33, is no longer guaranteed to dominate matches with the same consistency.

And if they are to win the Champions League again they possibly need to alter their approach, adding much-needed physical oomph.

Those who argue “anyone can boss a team with Messi and the other Barca superstars” will find out if they are right this season.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN’S refusal to sell Thiago Silva to Barcelona came with a health warning — especially for UEFA chief Michel Platini’s Financial Fair Play.

“Tap up Thiago Silva and we will pay the get-out clause of Lionel Messi” was the clear warning from PSG supremo Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

This is the same PSG who have paid out around £330million in transfer fees in the last two years, bringing in among others £35m Thiago Silva, £40m Javier Pastore and £55m Edinson Cavani.

In the summer of 2010 — just before Qatar Sports Investments bought PSG — the French outfit spent just £7m on transfers.

Their income was around £75m in 2010-11. The following year it jumped to £160m thanks to some sponsorship deals with companies that have strong links with the owners of the club.

How they will fulfil the criteria set out by UEFA to compete within their means having already spent £110m this summer on fees alone is anyone’s guess.

Those figures do not include a wage bill that runs into hundreds of millions, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s salary alone said to be over £25m a season.

So Frenchman Platini excluding his own countrymen from the Champions League anyone? Unlikely.

After all, Platini is hoping to be FIFA president in two years’ time when sanctions come into force.