Koeman Set To Take Over At Barcelona
By Emmanuel Awosika
Netherlands coach, Ronald Koeman, has agreed a deal in principle with Barcelona to lead the team next season following the removal of Quique Setien.
According to Sky, Barcelona officials are in the middle of negotiations with the Dutch Football Association, to whom Koeman is contractually tied.
Quique Setien was sacked after the Blaugrana’s shocking 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Koeman, who played for Barca in his youth, is the favorite choice of President Josep Maria Bartomeu and is expected to sign a deal in the coming days.
The appointment of a new coach signals an effort to enact large-scale change in the Barca team by the Blaugrana’s hierarchy following a disappointing season where the team crashed out of the UCL and surrendered the La Liga title to rivals Real Madrid.
Barcelona’s official statement after the removal of former coach Setien reads in part: “This is the first decision within a wider restructuring of the first team which will be agreed between the current technical secretary and the new coach, who will be announced in the coming days.”
However, Barcelona would need to pay compensation to the Dutch FA, as Koeman currently has a contract with them.
Former Tottenham gaffer, Mauricio Pochettino, was reported to be among the frontrunners for the Barca job after news of Setien’s looming sack.
But the collection of fans and media – the “El Torno” as Johann Cryuff described it – had opposed the move, paving the way for Koeman to land the job.
