Javier Saviola takes coaching post at Barcelona
Saviola will be the second coach of Under-19s, in which he will share the bench with head coach, Òscar López.
Javier Saviola has been appointed second coach of Barcelona’s Under-19s. The 40-year-old, who player Barça between 2001 and 2004, and again in 2006/7, is Óscar López’s new assistant. He has already started the pre-season, which is taking place in La Vall d’En Bas.
This team aims to repeat the triumphs of last season. In 2021/22, the U19s won two trophies: the Division of Honour league title and the Champions Cup. The Argentine spoke to the club’s media about this new opportunity: “I am very proud to return to Barça and I will try to contribute by giving my experience and the values that I learned here as a player”.
Barcelona career
Saviola joined Barcelona ahead of the 2001/02 season. At the time he was a big name signing - a star in Argentina with River Plate. Barcelona paid 36 million euros, a club transfer record at that time. The transfer almost didn’t go ahead after Saviola’s agent furiously stormed out of the club’s offices during negotiations.
He played four seasons in total, in two different spells. In 2004 he was loaned out to Monaco and then to Sevilla. He returned to Barcelona on 06/07, but did not have a good season and left at the end of his contract to join eternal rivals, Real Madrid. With the Catalans he played a total of 172 games and scored 72 goals in all competitions.