Barcelona visits Celta with club pressing to sign Xavi
By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona faces an important match at Celta Vigo while its club officials are busy negotiating in Qatar to sign Xavi Hernández as its new coach. This week appears key to Barcelona’s aspirations to secure the release of Xavi from his current club Al-Sadd. Saturday’s match at Celta will probably be the last for caretaker coach Sergi Barjuan. Barcelona must make up lost ground to close the nine-point gap between it in ninth place and leader Real Sociedad. Sociedad visits Osasuna on Sunday. Second-place Real Madrid hosts Rayo Vallecano also this weekend while third-place Sevilla faces a derby against fifth-place Real Betis.