Speaking on Thursday during an interview at The Associated Press' headquarters, Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu said Xavi is using his time at the Qatari club Al Sadd to prepare for a future role in Spain.

"He's right now not only playing, he's also learning as a coach. So of course one day Xavi will be one of the coaches of the club," Bartomeu said.

"I don't know which team of ours, but of course with the objective of one day coaching our first team."

Bartomeu also expects Xavi's former teammate Lionel Messi to stay at the Nou Camp well after his playing days are over.

The Argentina international, who recently extended his Barcelona contract through 2020-21, has scored a club-record 507 goals during his time at the Catalan club, including a La Liga-record 349.

"When he will give up playing football, he will continue with Barca," Bartomeu said. "It will be very difficult to find in the future a player that is going to be like him.

"He will be for years and years the best player of the world. We don't know where is his end, his limits.

"Because [in] 2014, we had a bad season that year. Leo Messi came after that summer, reinvented himself with [a] new coach, with new players, and, well, you see, Leo Messi, he's playing much better now than he was playing before."