Abidal worked with Planes till his departure– the current victim of the crisis, however likely not the last.
Eric Abidal delighted in huge success as a player at Barcelona but had a hard time severely as the clubs sporting director and fell out with Lionel Messi. Photograph: Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Abidal attracted criticism for his handling of the departure of Ernesto Valverde in January– the first Barcelona coach to be sacked midway through a season for 16 years– and the search for a replacement. With few candidates readily available, Barcelona ultimately chose Setién, having been turned down by Xavi and Koeman.
The decision, naturally presented as being by mutual consent, represents a sharp departure from the formal statement made by Barcelona on Monday. A declaration stated the club would bring out a “wide-ranging restructuring of the first string, based upon an agreement in between the present technical secretariat and the new coach, who will be revealed in the coming days”. A day later, that technical secretary has gone. The clubs president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, continues in his post, with elections not to be held until after 15 March 2021.
Asked whether he would like to return to Barcelona, the 57-year-old, who spent 6 years as a player at the Camp Nou, apparently stated: “Yes, I d like to, however it will only be verified once I have actually signed the agreement. Barcelona will undergo dramatic cost-cutting measures intended at conserving close to EUR200m and rejuvenating the squad, seeking departures for older, more costly players. The Frenchmans sacking represents the 5th change made to the role of sporting director throughout Bartomeus six-year presidency. Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked at the start of 2015 as Bartomeu sought to ride out a crisis. Zubizarretas assistant, Carles Puyol, walked out instantly after that sacking.
On Monday Eric Abidal satisfied Quique Setién in a city dining establishment and notified him that he had actually been sacked as supervisor of Barcelona; little bit over 24 hr later on he has been sacked himself, relieved of his post as sporting director at the Camp Nou.
Next came a committee made up of Charly Rexach, Ariedo Braida, Javi Bordas and Jordi Mestre, which was then changed by Robert Fernández. He was subsequently signed up with by Pep Segura. When Fernández left, Abidal and Ramón Planes signed up with Segura, who then left.
The job of leading that reconstruction will not now be up to Abidal. A previous player, considering that rejoining the club in 2018 he has managed a substantial investment with reducing returns, drawing extreme criticism, although genuine power lay in the hands of Bartomeu, not only the president but likewise the vice-president with obligation for sport.
Barcelona will undergo significant cost-cutting procedures aimed at conserving near EUR200m and revitalizing the squad, looking for departures for older, more costly gamers. Barely a handful of footballers are thought about untouchable by the club. Lionel Messi is one but his contract ends next year and there are doubts about his desire to continue. He has so far stayed quiet in the middle of reports that he wants to leave. Another, Marc-André ter Stegen, is yet to renew his agreement and will be out of action hurt until November.
The new manager is expected to be the present Netherlands head coach, Ronald Koeman, who arrived in Barcelona on Tuesday and, according to the Spanish paper AS, talked about the vacancy outside the Dutch Football Federation headquarters earlier in the day. Asked whether he would like to return to Barcelona, the 57-year-old, who invested 6 years as a gamer at the Camp Nou, apparently stated: “Yes, I d like to, however it will just be confirmed once I have actually signed the contract. Till then, I can not say any more about it– although I d like to.”
The Frenchmans sacking represents the 5th modification made to the role of sporting director during Bartomeus six-year presidency. Andoni Zubizarreta was sacked at the start of 2015 as Bartomeu sought to ride out a crisis.
