Ronald Koeman spoke extensively about his resignation from FC Barcelona six months ago on Thursday during a charity golf event. The Dutch are especially critical of President Joan Laporta, with whom she has bad relations.
“The president has openly expressed his doubts. This is not good. You have to communicate clearly inside, but defend the coach to the outside world. If you don’t support your coach, he will. Let’s hope Xavi gets more support from me. He told Koeman that at a press conference in Barcelona.
The 59-year-old Dutchman was fired at the end of October after a series of disappointing results, but has been at odds with Laporta for some time. After Barcelona’s first season (2020-2021) in which they won the King’s Cup, the chairman said during the negotiations that he would replace Koeman if he can find a good successor.
Koeman was eventually allowed to start the new season, but it turned out to be a stay of execution. After a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano (the eleventh league game of the season), Laporta, who played 78 caps, is said to have coached his last game on his plane.
Ronald Koeman was the last name on the bench of FC Barcelona in the away match against Rayo Vallecano at the end of October.
Ronald Koeman was the last name on the bench of FC Barcelona in the away match against Rayo Vallecano at the end of October.
Photographer: Getty Images
“I could write a book about my stay in Barcelona”
Koeman, who will replace Louis van Gaal as national coach of the Dutch national team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, believes that he is not (entirely) guilty of the disappointing results of FC Barcelona. The former Catalan defender points to his setbacks.
“We didn’t have a president for a while, so I had to answer all the questions from the media. I didn’t get the players I wanted, we lost Lionel Messi and we lost Antoine Griezmann on the last transfer market day.”
“I could write a book about my time in Barcelona. A lot has happened to us. Doesn’t look like a failure to me either. When I left FC Barcelona, I was eight points ahead of first position. That number has now almost doubled (fifteen points, editor’s note).”
Despite the bitter end of his dream club, Koeman hopes that his successor Xavi will gain confidence in the long run. “Switching coaches is not always the solution. I just want to support Xavi. The fault of the current situation at FC Barcelona is not the manager.”
Source: NU
Jason Jack is an experienced technology journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in computer science and engineering, he has a deep understanding of the latest technology trends and developments. He writes about a wide range of technology topics, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, software development, and cybersecurity.
