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Ronald Duck: Coman is the right man in the right place, at the wrong time

He is considered a legend in the club, he has rich experience and the right attitude, and on the way to the position he gave up quite a bit. So why is Ronald Koeman still coming to Barcelona as a lame duck? Prepare for the appointment that for the Dutch coach was a fantasy, but could end in tragedy

• Ronald Coman
• Barcelona in football

Michael Yochin

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Even before the official announcement of the appointment of Ronald Koeman, Victor Pont, one of the top candidates in the Barcelona presidential election, declared that the Dutchman was irrelevant to him. "If I choose, Coman will not be the coach of Barcelona in the 2021/22 season. I will not change my plans even if he wins all the titles. Xavi understands all the challenges facing the club. The coach will be chosen by the board, and in our case it will be Xavi." , He claimed.

This greatly emphasizes the simple fact - everything is political. Uncertainty is the name of the game. The current situation in Barcelona is complicated and very complex, and it is better not to put a healthy head in a sick bed at this stage. This is true for those who have time to wait for a more accurate timing. Xavi, 40, knows full well that his time will come, with or without a font. He is destined, and time works in his favor anyway. He has no reason to hurry. He therefore turned down an offer to replace Ernesto Valvareda in January, and would not accept the responsibility now. For the 57-year-old Koeman, the picture is completely different. He understands that this may be his last chance to fulfill his great ambition, in part because Xavi is able to take the job soon, and for many years to come.

That’s why the urge to get the job was so strong in terms of the redhead past brake. The fear of missing the dream was so tangible that it made him abandon his second dream. After all, Koeman has long longed to coach not only Barça but also the Dutch national team. His frustration was immense when the Orange Association preferred in an absurd - and very political - decision Danny Blind over him as the successor to Louis van Gaal in 2014. This choice soon turned out to be catastrophic, the Netherlands did not qualify for two tournaments in a row, and Koeman reached the savior standard four years late. He rehabilitated the team, marched it to Euro 2020, but then the Corona disrupted plans. The European Championship was postponed for a year, and his hasty resignation now puts an end to his successful term. Koeman will not get to coach his country team, where he was revered and gained unlimited credit. Instead, he dives into a dubious adventure, knowing that he may be thrown out of Camp Nou even before Euro 2020 finally takes place. Then he might even see him on TV as unemployed.

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Koeman probably did not make the move wholeheartedly, but the longing was too strong. After all, he is a Barcelona man. He cries with excitement when he is shown the winning goal against Sampdoria in the 1992 Champions Cup final. He strongly identifies with the legacy of beloved teacher Johan Cruyff, who nurtured him at Ajax and brought him to the capital of Catalonia. It is a supreme feeling to accept the responsibility to continue the maestro's path on the Barcelona bench, and to that end it is also possible to go on particularly big personal battles. Koeman's intentions are good, but here's also the place to mention that Kika Stein's intentions were also good.

Stein, the pure cruiser who was willing to cut a finger to play on the giant coach's team, did not even dare dream of coaching Barça, until it fell to his lot. His appointment sparked immense excitement among large circles of fans, but optimism crashed with dizzying speed. Because this vision is nice, but it is irrelevant without proper execution, and the execution is doubly difficult in the toxic atmosphere that prevails in the club because of the corrupt management. Exceptional skills are required to be successful in these circumstances, and experience is essential. Stein really had no experience, and he made countless mistakes, until he ended his tenure in absorbing the historic and disgraceful eight from Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.

The case of Koeman is very different, of course, because the Dutchman has a lot of experience. In fact, it will be difficult to find a more experienced candidate. He starred in the club as a player, and was also Van Gaal's assistant in the late '90s. He learned during his life from other great coaches, and in 1988 he won the Champions Cup with Jose Hiddink and the European Championship with Rinos Michals. He is the only person in the Netherlands to have played in all three majors (Ajax, Eindhoven and Feyenoord), and also coached them. He also moved to Benfica, gaining Premier League experience with Southampton and Everton. While marching the Netherlands to impressive achievements, he found a common language with Frankie de Jong, and professionally promoted the promising young player of Barcelona, ​​around whom the club is interested in building the team in the coming years. In short, when it comes to the resume experience is simply amazing, and no player in the locker room would dare to challenge the redhead's authority.

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Daulopao: "Koeman did not contribute anything to me." Cruyff: "Praying that Messi will not leave"

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• Ronald Koeman introduced at Barcelona: "We will bring the club back to being the biggest in the world"
• Daulopao: "Koeman did not contribute anything to me." Cruyff: "Praying that Messi will not leave"
• In the Netherlands worried about Koman leaving: "Terrible news for the team". Boss will replace?
• Barcelona claim: Coman has no chance of success, Bartomeu "sins" for Messi
• Stop smoking with the largest rehab institute in Israel

This will happen, among other things, because Koeman has changed a lot as a coach over the years. Experience does its thing, and as a smart person he has made the necessary adjustments. At the beginning of his career on the lines, the Dutchman believed that the coach must be a dictator who rules his will by force. This approach led to a fiasco in Valencia, where he fought in the 2007/08 season against the veteran leaders, and waved from the squad Captain David Albalda, goalkeeper Santiago Knissares and fan favorite Miguel Angulo. The Bats that sank to the bottom did win the trophy, but the players claimed that the title was hoisted despite the coach and not thanks to him. After the final whistle in the final, Koeman walked around on the grass and tried to hug and congratulate his trainees, but they evasively and ignored him. He was so hated that even many years later the people of Valencia mentioned him badly. In 2014, Albalada declared: "I hope Koeman will coach Barcelona, ​​because then the league will be more equal."

Koeman learned from the failure, and became a much softer coach. The gradual process culminated in the Netherlands, where he served as a father figure for the young, trying to create as relaxed and positive an atmosphere as possible. Players are given freedom of action on and off the field. On Memphis Depay, who flourished under his guidance, Koeman said: "I see his posts on Instagram and think to myself that the cigar is really unnecessary, but on the other hand - who cares? He should be allowed to express himself. If he enjoys doing such nonsense, he will have health." These smiles might have also been appropriate for Barcelona players trying to recover from the crisis, but the management is assigning a different role to Coman. He should first be the ax that will throw many players off the roster to carry out the rejuvenation process.

In principle, Koeman must agree with the policy. Already a year ago he warned about the aging of Barça's squad, claiming that Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets did not have much time left in the top flight. On that occasion he even stated: "I prefer to work with young people to worry about the future. If there is a 22-year-old player and a 30-year-old player with similar characteristics, I will choose a 22-year-old." His ambition is to promote as many alumni as possible from Asia, and give them a chance. The problem is that he still has to build the team around 33-year-old Leo Messi, and the flea does not necessarily want to give up his teammates. In addition, one has to find the right way to say goodbye to veteran stars. It is forbidden to go to war against them, and it is in no way possible to restore the precedent of Albalada and Knissars.

Unfortunately for Koeman, he gets instructions from the bosses, and those instructions do not always make sense to say the least. President Joseph Maria Bartomeu on Tuesday, without being explicitly asked about it, published the list of players the club does not intend to sell, which for some reason includes the infamous Nelson Samado who does not fit the club level and the permanently injured Osman Dembele. In contrast, Luis Suarez, Pique, Busquets and Jordi Alba are not on the list, thus sending Bartomeu a clear message that they are no longer wanted. This creates two huge problems. First, there is further tension between the management and the leading players, as if the scandals that accompanied the club last season were not enough. Second, the value of those destined for sale in the market decreases immediately (and if there is a bizarre attempt here to raise Samado's price, then it will not work).

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Barcelona claim: Coman has no chance of success, Bartomeu "sins" for Messi

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These statements highlight, for the umpteenth time, that Bartomeu is destroying the club. It is a systematic and consistent destruction, in almost every possible aspect. The rage towards him knows no bounds, and his junta will not last. Anyone identified with him could be deported, and Koeman is now marked as his appointment. This was not the intention of the Dutchman, and he would have preferred a completely different timing, but this is the reality - and this reality could severely damage his image among the fans.

If so, it's a kind of tragedy. Coman's legacy at Barcelona is fantastic, his love of the club is pure, and the goal at Wembley has put him in the Hall of Fame. However, as exemplified by the sad case of Eric Avidel who ended a miserable term as a sports director, even the most revered figures may completely lose their reputation and good name when they tie their fate in Bartomeu and his friends. Is Koeman next in line? This is a very troubling question, and it is mostly political rather than sporting. As Pont said, he may be dismissed even if he wins all the degrees - and this prophecy greatly reduces the chances of winning those degrees in the first place. He may be the right man in the right place, but apparently it's not at the right time.

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