Sergio Busquets is a new assistant coach with Barcelona B ahead of the 2026–27 season, his first job since a 17-year playing career ended with Inter Miami’s MLS Cup victory in 2025.

Busquets is currently working through obtaining coaching qualifications that will enable him to become a manager, and will form part of the staff led by ex-Barça right back Juliano Belletti.

The two-time Champions League winner was about to turn 27 in July 2015 when he openly confirmed his desire “to be a coach” in the future. At that point, Busquets still had “many years” on the pitch left ahead of him. But with that glittering career now behind him, the time has come to embark on the next chapter of his life at the age of 38.

Busquets himself made 25 appearances for Barcelona B in the formative stages of his career and the team provides an important stepping stone for both players and coaches.

A year leading Barcelona B marked the start of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career in 2007. From there, he was promoted to first-team boss in 2008, replacing Frank Rijkaard, and took Busquets with him from the reserves into the senior squad.

Guardiola guided Barcelona to a sextuple in his first season in 2008–09 and by the time he left Manchester City at the end of May had won 41 trophies in 17 seasons.

Luis Enrique was the manager who succeeded Guardiola in charge of Barcelona B, although his path to becoming one of the greatest coaches of his generation wasn’t quite so linear. After three years, Enrique moved to Roma, then took a year out before joining Celta Vigo.

He returned to Camp Nou in 2014 and delivered in his first season the club’s first La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble since Guardiola. His subsequent achievements at Paris Saint-Germain since 2022 speak for themselves.

Former Barcelona players returning to the club to become manager is common, with Xavi Hernández the most recent example until being fired at the end of 2023–24.

Ex-Barcelona Players Who Became Manager