Ronald Koeman Sacked ! – Ronald Koeman has been stripped of his duties as first-team coach of FC Barcelona. After the defeat against Rayo Vallecano, the club’s president, Joan Laporta, notified him of the decision. On Thursday, Ronald Koeman will bid his squad farewell at the Ciutat Esportiva.
After a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, Barcelona’s patience with Ronald Koeman eventually ran out, as the board relieved the Dutchman of his duties as head coach.
The setback to Real Madrid in Sunday’s Clasico, along with the loss away at Rayo on Wednesday, proved to be the final straw after months of rumors over his future.
MARCA has discovered that Koeman has stepped down as Barcelona’s manager, with the decision made shortly after the team’s defeat against Vallecas.
The Catalans will now want to replace the Dutchman as quickly as possible, with club legend Xavi Hernandez, who is presently with Al Sadd in Qatar, the frontrunner.
Despite the fact that Koeman was a club legend during his playing days, the board was convinced that the Dutchman would not be able to turn the tide after a disappointing end to the 2020/21 LaLiga Santander season, coupled with an even worse start to the current season – where Barcelona is currently ninth in the table.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated on October 2 ahead of the league meeting with Atletico Madrid that Koeman would continue as coach regardless of the result, in an apparent vote of confidence for the under-pressure manager. However, with the situation deteriorating over the course of the month, that position has drastically changed.