Barcelona have sacked Quique Setien as coach, the membership confirmed on Monday, with Ronald Koeman the frontrunner to be his alternative. “The brand new coach will probably be introduced within the coming days as a part of a large ranging restructuring of the primary crew,” Barca mentioned on Twitter. Setien was solely appointed in January however has paid the worth for Barca surrendering the La Liga title to Real Madrid after which being humiliated by Bayern Munich within the Champions League. His exit was finalised throughout an emergency board assembly at Camp Nou, which lasted nearly six hours and noticed Koeman emerge because the favoured option to take cost.
The membership additionally introduced subsequent yr’s presidential elections, scheduled for June, will probably be introduced ahead to March 15.
Indignant supporters had hoped they might be held instantly however that chance was dominated out, which means under-fire president Josep Maria Bartomeu will proceed.
“After analysing all of the choices, the Board considers that this (March 15) is essentially the most viable date for holding these elections,” the assertion continued.
“The Board understands that the rapid name for elections just isn’t possible contemplating the league will start on the weekend of September 12 and as a result of financial and social framework brought on by the Covid-19 disaster.”
Setien’s successor will nonetheless be below strain to ship shortly given a brand new board subsequent yr may set up their very own coach, with Xavi Hernandez linking himself to rival presidential candidate Victor Font.
Koeman has been in command of the Dutch nationwide crew since 2018 and is because of lead them on the postponed European Championship subsequent yr and the World Cup in 2022.
Mauricio Pochettino was additionally thought of however his earlier feedback dismissing Barca attributable to his hyperlinks with rivals Espanyol have counted towards him.
Koeman and his agent have been negotiating a two-year contract on Monday night time, in keeping with studies in Spain, with the second yr depending on the end result of the presidential elections.
He enjoys hero-status at Barcelona after starring for them as a participant below Johan Cruyff and scoring the profitable purpose within the 1992 European Cup ultimate.
However his teaching profession has been combined and he would arrive at a membership in disaster, with one among his first duties to steer captain Lionel Messi to not depart.
Messi future unsure
Shortly earlier than the board assembly started on Monday, sources at Barcelona insisted the membership had not heard something from Messi about wanting to go away.
However the 33-year-old has grown more and more pissed off in current months and a report from Esporte Interativo on Sunday claimed he has made up his thoughts to discover a new membership this summer season.
Gerard Pique mentioned he would depart if it was mandatory and it is nonetheless not identified which gamers are thought of surplus to necessities.
Any restoration is likely to be centered on youth, with Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig and Frenkie de Jong main the following technology.
Koeman will know the size of the problem at Barcelona, the place an ageing crew ended up misplaced below Setien, who didn’t persuade the gamers of his strategies.
Setien oversaw 16 wins, 4 attracts and 5 defeats from his 25 video games in cost.
Regardless of the occasional high-scoring win and a few eye-catching spells of the possession soccer he craves, Barcelona have been additionally ponderous, disjointed and defensively weak.
Earlier than the three-month suspension, they misplaced the Clasico to Actual Madrid and after it, they drew towards Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid.
After defeat by Osasuna successfully handed Madrid the title, Messi vented his frustration, pointedly saying the crew had been a multitude since January, which was when Setien was appointed.
Setien, in the meantime, admitted he had by no means managed a dressing room like Barca’s and few place the blame for the membership’s decline at his ft.
A lot of the followers’ fury is directed at Bartomeu and the board, who’ve alienated the dressing room and made too many errors within the switch market.
Promoted
There was no point out of sporting director Eric Abidal within the membership’s statements and it seems he’ll proceed for now.
Abidal drew public criticism from Messi in February after suggesting the gamers have been liable for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde. He’s additionally believed to have been key to the appointment of Setien.
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