As expected, Ronald Koeman was officially appointed FC Barcelona coach on Wednesday, in the wake of Ramon Planes who will take on the role of sports director left free by Eric Abidal less than 24 hours ago. The former Blaugrana is therefore leaving his duties as coach of the Netherlands - which should cost Barça 4 to 5 million euros in compensation vis-à-vis the Dutch Federation - to succeed Quique Sétien dismissed from his duties after the rout in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against Bayern Munich (2-8). Koeman has signed up for two seasons, even if the second year remains conditioned on the identity of the future president of Barça, who will be elected next March. The arrival of the Dutchman marks a new stage in the great cleaning, and the inevitable reconstruction that must follow, of the Catalan club, stunned by a season without titles and with a deliquescent game, with a few rare matches.
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Koeman therefore reconnects with a club where he played as a player from 1989 to 1995, with a victory in the Champions League in 1992 in which he scored the only goal of the final against Sampdoria (1-0). . Suffice to say that he has a certain credit in the eyes of the supporters, as well as an aura much greater than that of Sétien because of his glorious past as a former player. Enough to revive a hard-pressed workforce? The Dutchman knows it, he will have to walk on eggshells with the primary need to breathe new life into his group. Impossible, for the moment, to know his intentions concerning the executives of the Catalan locker room that are Gérard Piqué, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and obviously Lionel Messi.
¡Bienvenido a casa, @RonaldKoeman!
❤️ #KoemanCuler
If the departure of the first three is clearly possible, the Argentine could stay and honor his last year of contract. Which would give Koeman a chance at the same time to prove to him that he has the shoulders, as a coach, to right a ship threatening to sink, while being able to negotiate his free departure in the summer of 2021. And even if he will be 34 by that time, there is no doubt that offers will flow. But before such a scenario, there is a season to live. That of reconstruction for Koeman who has never before had such a challenge to face as a coach in the many clubs he has managed (Ajax Amsterdam, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven, Everton, Valence ...)
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