Barcelona's sporting director, Deco, has stated that the club is not rushing to find a successor for Xavi Hernandez.

Xavi announced in January that he would be stepping down as Barcelona's head coach at the end of the season due to a series of disappointing results.

Deco refuted recent rumours suggesting that Barcelona had initiated the search for a new manager and had already compiled a short list of potential candidates.

"We don't talk about that because we are not looking for a coach, it is not the time," Deco told Catalunya Radio."The season is not over. There is a lot we have ahead of us."

Since Xavi's announcement, Barça have gone on a six-game unbeaten run and when asked if the club would consider keeping Xavi if he reconsidered his decision, Deco said: "If something changes, I won't say we can't bring it up. We have nothing against him. It's not a decision that was taken by the club or the sports management. At the moment, there is no such possibility. If it happens, we will discuss it."

Deco further explained that Barcelona must first finalise their plans for the 2024–25 campaign before considering a replacement for Xavi.

"First of all, we have to consider what project we want, knowing exactly what we can do and what players we [will] have," he said."The majority of players want to remain here. There are not many high-level coaches available on the market. The majority [of coaches] have a contract, there will be many movements, and when the time comes, we will make the right decision. It's not the time."