Will be interesting to see how this is received by fans
Barcelona have reportedly chosen Netherlands manager and former player Ronald Koeman as their new manager, replacing the recently sacked Quique Setien.
According to Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano, Barca will officially announce Koeman as their new manager next week, at which point he will leave the Dutch national team setup.
Ronald Koeman has been choosen as new Barcelona manager. He's going to leave Holland National team to join Barça – official statement on this week. Here we go! 🤝🔵🔴 #FCB #Barcelona #Koeman
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2020
Koeman’s appointment will likely raise a lot of eyebrows, especially considering the fact that his most recent role in club management, at Everton, ended in failure.
During his 16 months at the club, Koeman won just 41 percent of his games. His time with the Dutch national team has been somewhat successful, with his team finishing runners-up in the 2019 UEFA Nations Cup.
Koeman will take over a club very much in crisis after a poor league campaign and a humiliating exit from the Champions League, where Bayern Munich defeated them 8-2 in a one-off quarter-final in Lisbon.
The club’s decision to sack Setien came as a surprise to no one, but Koeman’s appointment – over candidates such as Mauricio Pochettino and club legend Xavi – will be questioned.
According to reports, the club remains keen for Xavi – currently manager in Qatar with Al Sadd – to become manager, though he is reluctant to do so until the current board is replaced.
Whether Koeman’s appointment will be enough to placate Lionel Messi also remains to be seen.
