The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was reportedly stunned to find Xavi Hernandez, the former Barcelona coach and legend, among the applicants for the Indian men's national team head coach position. According to sources, Xavi's name was on a list prepared by AIFF's national team director, Subrata Paul. The application was sent from his personal email ID.

Xavi, who won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and two European championships as a player, also won 25 trophies with Barcelona, including eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. He began his coaching career with Al Sadd in Qatar before returning to Barcelona. He guided Barcelona to two trophies, including the 2022-23 La Liga title.

The AIFF technical committee, chaired by former India captain IM Vijayan, did not shortlist Xavi due to financial concerns. According to a technical committee member, even if Xavi were interested in the job, his salary demands would be too high.

In a previous interview with The Athletic, Xavi had said he follows the Indian League because many Spanish coaches are there. Since the start of the Indian Super League (ISL), many Spanish coaches, such as Antonio López Habas, Sergio Lobera, and Manolo Marquez, have had a strong impact, winning titles and introducing new tactics to Indian football.

The technical committee has recommended three names to the AIFF executive committee to replace Manolo Marquez, who resigned earlier in July 2025. The three candidates are Stephen Constantine, former national team coach; Stefan Tarkovic, former head coach of Kyrgyzstan and Slovakia; and Khalid Jamil, the only Indian coach on the list.