FC Barcelona have finally unveiled Xavi Hernandez as their new head coach.
Following a near-two year pursuit, the club legend - who came through the La Masia academy to become its second all-time appearances leader after Lionel Messi while winning the Champions League four times - will get his elite coaching career underway in the derby against Espanyol on November 20.
Xavi was landed on Friday after a delegation minus president Joan Laporta headed to Doha to negotiate his exit from former employers Al-Sadd.
Playing hardball, the Qataris refused to let their man go until a $5.8 million release clause had been agreed, which will apparently be paid half each by the Catalans and the 41-year-old, who has also taken a considerable paycut.
READ ALSO: I want to go to Barca -- Xavi to Al-Sadd
Once this deal had been hashed out, the signing on a two-and-a-half year deal until June 2024 was announced in the early hours of Saturday morning with an unveiling ceremony planned for the following Monday.
This took place at around 13.30 local time today with Xavi first greeting a Camp Nou crowd cheering his name which had managed to fill one of the 99,000 capacity stadium's main stands.
Penning his contract with Laporta in front of them, and posing with a Blaugrana jersey also bearing his name, he then said a few words on-pitch before conducting a press conference with his new boss by his side elsewhere.
The moment has arrived pic.twitter.com/OkSunDBzRk
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 8, 2021
Ladies and gentlemen, Xavi has the floor pic.twitter.com/sDmG1VzO5P
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 8, 2021
And there it is! pic.twitter.com/yFdrGsEuNi
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 8, 2021