Barcelona are a shell of their former selves, and with the club sat in ninth place in La Liga, Koeman was finally relived of his duties after just 14 months in charge.
The Catalan side have lost their identity over the past few seasons, and the departure of Messi this summer due to the clubs financial crisis has clearly affected the squad, who are lacking leadership.
With Xavi such a core part of Barcelona’s rich legacy, the Catalan side have turned to their former man as the club desperately look to restore success and bring belief back to the Nou Camp.
Following the announcement, Al Sadd chief executive Turki Al-Ali said: “Xavi informed us a few days ago of his desire to go to Barcelona at this particular time, because of the critical stage his hometown club is going through, and we understand this and decided not to stand in his way.