October 13, 2019 Netherlands’ coach Ronald Koeman looks on prior to
the Euro 2020 football qualification match between Belarus and the
Netherlands in Minsk. Sergei GAPON / AFP
Former Barcelona midfielder Ronald Koeman has been
appointed the club’s new coach, the La Liga giants’ president Josep
Maria Bartomeu said on Tuesday.
Koeman, who has been in charge of the Netherlands since 2018,
replaces Quique Setien who was sacked after Barca were knocked out
of the Champions League quarter-finals in a 8-2 defeat to Bayern
Munich on Friday.
According to reports Koeman and his agent were negotiating a
two-year contract late on Monday, with the second year dependent on
the outcome of the presidential elections.
“Koeman will be Barca’s coach next season,” Bartomeu told the
side’s television channel.
“If everything goes OK, Koeman will be the coach we announce and
will guide this team and the players with a different project.
“It’s someone the supporters know well, not just as a player but
also as a coach.”
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Koeman is a hero at Barca after starring for them as a player
under Johan Cruyff and scoring the winning goal in the 1992
European Cup final — the Catalan club’s first ever success in
Europe’s top club competition.
His coaching career has been mixed and he arrives with Catalans
in crisis.
Setien was fired on Monday after the heavy loss which meant
Barca finish the season trophy-less for the first time since
2007.
Earlier on Tuesday sporting director Eric Abidal was axed, who
also paid the price for the Bayern trouncing and a campaign of
internal conflict by surrendering the La Liga title to Real
Madrid.
Abidal came under fire for his handling of the dismissal of then
coach Ernesto Valverde in January.
The former left-back blamed the players for Valverde’s dismissal
in an interview, provoking an angry reaction from the club’s
normally discreet superstar Lionel Messi.
Bartomeu’s own position is also under threat according to
reports with June’s presidential elections moved forward to March
15.
Mauricio Pochettino was also considered as a replacement for
Setien but his previous comments dismissing Barca due to his links
with rivals Espanyol have counted against him.
AFP
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/08/19/ronald-koeman-appointed-new-barcelona-coach/