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Sam Marsden
Moises Llorens
To help him, Koeman will bring in Alfred Schreuder and Henrik Larsson as his assistants, one of whom currently has a favorable connection with one of Barcas essential players. Sources say Schreuder arrives with Frenkie de Jongs blessing, given their relationship, and former Sweden international Larsson is a familiar face, having actually played for Barca 14 years back, and boasts that institutional memory of what the club anticipates to be.
De Jong will be central to Koemans plans. The coach has eaten in restaurants with the midfielder– in addition to Patrick Kluivert and family– on several of his trips to Barcelona over the previous year. A source at the club state theres excitement to see how De Jong, a EUR70m finalizing from Ajax last summer, will bloom under his compatriot.
Other youngsters will be brought through alongside De Jong– Riqui Puig, Ansu Fati and recent finalizing Francisco Trincao, for example– and new signings will also be gone after. Sources state Eric Garcia and Lautaro Martinez remain targets, however all that matters right now is one player: Messi.
With rumours swirling of a Gerard Pique exit at Barcelona, ESPN FCs Mark Ogden pointers MLS as a perfect landing area.
Hes never been scared to stand up to prominent players– as shown at Valencia when, in 2007-08, he required out senior stars Santiago Canizares, David Albelda and Miguel Angel Angulo as part of a rebuild– and provided Setiens power struggle with the team, Koemans assertive nature is going to be needed. ESPN reported earlier this year that just three players were not for sale, and Bartomeu verified on Tuesday that basically every player over the age of 30, omitting Messi, can leave.
” There are gamers of a specific age who you can start to doubt, although a gamer who is 31, 32 or even 33 is not necessarily finished– it all depends on your hunger and whether you want to provide whatever for the club.
Sources explain that the top brass at the Catalan club thought that Setiens absence of experience at the leading level counted against him, which was why he didnt amass regard among the gamers.
After the Bayern game, regardless of the fact that gamers understood what it meant for Setien, sources say the players didnt even state farewell to the coach.
With additional reporting by Rodrigo Faez
BARCELONA, Spain– Ronald Koemans very first serve as Barcelona coach was a working lunch with his brand-new employers on Wednesday. He dined with president Josep Maria Bartomeu, sporting director Ramon Planes and director Javier Bordas at La Venta in the fancy Sant Gervasi-La Bonanova area. They had plenty to discuss.
Koeman has actually replaced Quique Setien as one of the lots of changes promised by Bartomeu in the after-effects of their Champions League embarrassment versus Bayern Munich last Friday. Sources have actually told ESPN that although Koeman was responsive to many of the needed modifications, he wanted one thing to stay the same: keep Lionel Messi at the club.
The new coach was distressed to arrange a meeting with Messi, around whom he wants to build a team. The forward has been annoyed, dissatisfied and, sometimes, mad over Barcas European shambles and, according to reports, is considering his future. (On Friday, the Barca board were divided over whether they ought to really listen to offers for their talisman given the needs of the squad and the scale of the rebuild required.).
Messi, the six-time Ballon dOr winner, has actually flirted with leaving the Camp Nou before, but the risk of him leaving has actually never ever felt more genuine. His silence throughout the week considering that Barcelonas Champions League exit, which has been among the most turbulent weeks in the clubs recent history, has actually just increased concerns that he might leave.
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Messi travelled back from Cerdanya, where he was on vacation with Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and their households, to meet with Koeman. Sources close to Messi wouldnt disclose how the meeting went, but the club verified that he informed Koeman he has doubts about remaining.
Messis contract runs up until 2021 and includes an expensive EUR700 million release provision. For Koeman, convincing the No. 10 to remain would be a great start to his period, but the scale of the task at Camp Nou stays huge.
” Its not an easy challenge,” Koeman acknowledged as he was formally presented after Wednesdays lunch. “Even throughout excellent times, its not easy to be at Barcelona because the club requires the absolute best. However I like that, its how it needs to be.
” I believe there need to be modifications. The image of recently [versus Bayern] is not the image we want. We will strive to recover the prestige of a club that is still biggest in the world.”.
In January, Barca sacked Ernesto Valverde, when the club was leading of La Liga, and Setiens reign has actually been specified by a host of mistakes, on and off the pitch, that culminated with last weeks 8-2 humiliation versus Bayern. That defeat brought all the clubs woes bubbling back to the surface.
In addition to the possibility of Messi leaving, Barca need to change an aging core of players, minimize the video games biggest wage expense and do it while dealing with a EUR300 million deficit brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Thats without delving into the crisis at board level, which led to 6 members stepping down in April, and even touching on the reality that, in March, a new president will be selected and everything done this summer season could be ripped up in favour of beginning again, again.
The death of Setien.
After the heavy loss to Bayern, Setien declined to answer concerns about his future, but he currently understood he was going to be sacked. He didnt even require to speak with Bartomeu to know that; rather of being alleviated by Bartomeu, Setien got the news over lunch on Monday from sporting director Eric Abidal, who stepped down from his own function with the club 24 hours later.
It had actually been 217 days because Setien had actually been selected– with practically 60 of them spent in pandemic lockdown. A source near to the very first group quipped there is “nothing positive” to say about Setiens fleeting Camp Nou remain.
Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesThings didnt get off to a great start in January when Setien changed Valverde, who had actually been a popular figure amongst senior players, and they quickly went downhill. Sources discuss that big areas of the squad, including Messi, didnt click with Setien and his training staff from day one. It rapidly ended up being obvious that the gamers relationship with his assistant, Eder Sarabia, was particularly sour.
It was the stress with Sarabia that spilled into the public sphere. Messi ignored an instruction from Sarabia throughout the 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on June 27; television video cameras captured the No. 10 leaving Sarabia as he attempted to provide instructions. It was a scene familiar in training, according to sources, where gamers didnt buy into the “strength” demanded by Setien and his staff. They believed some of his workouts were childish and others overcomplicated. This resulted in tension between Sarabia and Messi; on occasion, Setien even needed to action in and keep the peace in between the pair.
As the rift between gamers and coaches grew, coupled with dropped points post-lockdown in La Liga versus Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid, Bartomeu soon understood another managerial modification was needed. Setiens fate was sealed when Barca lost to Osasuna in the penultimate video game of the season, handing archrivals Real Madrid the title. Sources explain that the top brass at the Catalan club thought that Setiens lack of experience on top level counted versus him, which was why he didnt gather respect among the gamers.
In spite of that, after a series of meetings, there was an agreement among the players and the training staff that Setien would stay in charge for the Champions League project. Everyone on staff consented to pull together for the sake of the club; nevertheless, per some sources, Setien appeared to have actually examined out. He didnt give a correct group talk ahead of the Aug. 8 win versus Napoli, rather informing the players they were experienced enough to know what they had to do. In the accumulation to that game, some gamers turned to other members of the backroom staff to request for details on Napolis weak points and strengths– analysis Setien would usually deliver.
Barca survived that game, winning 3-1 (4-2 on aggregate), but their preparation for Bayern was simply as haphazard. Setien did try to exert some authority, asking gamers to step up throughout training sessions. After the Bayern video game, despite the truth that players knew what it meant for Setien, sources say the gamers didnt even state farewell to the coach.
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There are two sides to every story, of course, and sources close to Setien say he understood within one month that he had an “difficult job” on his hands. He and his staff think the players have too much power.
How Barca courted Koeman.
On Saturday, the day after the Bayern video game, Koeman started interviewing for the job. He was one of 3 candidates sounded out by Bartomeu as the Barca president looked for to prevent the mess that underpinned Setiens appointment in January. Of course, Barca had landed on Setien only after being turned down by Koeman and Xavi Hernandez at the start of 2020.
Once once again, sources state it quickly became obvious after discussions that Xavi– a Barca club legend as a gamer, now managing in Qatar at Al Sadd– was still not all set to return, which left Pochettino and Koeman on the list.
The Argentine coach formerly said he would rather “return to his farm” in his homeland than coach at Camp Nou due to the fact that of his history as a player and coach at competitors Espanyol. Sources explain that the frustrating negativeness towards Pochettino among advocates and on social media– as well as doubts among some members of the board– propelled Koeman into pole position.
Koemans credibility for being forceful and assertive made him the Barcelona job, however hell need to be more diplomatic if he is to get this team back on track. Urbanandsport/NurPhoto through Getty ImagesKoeman played for Barcelona as a player and composed his name into the history books when, as part of Johan Cruyffs Dream Team, he scored the objective that secured the clubs very first European Cup in 1992. A source near the Barca hierarchy says they decided on Koeman this time because they believe he will command regard from the gamers.
The club likewise feel hes capable of supervising an overhaul of the playing personnel. Hes never been scared to withstand prominent gamers– as shown at Valencia when, in 2007-08, he dislodged senior stars Santiago Canizares, David Albelda and Miguel Angel Angulo as part of a reconstruct– and provided Setiens power battle with the team, Koemans assertive nature is going to be needed. ESPN reported previously this year that just 3 gamers were not for sale, and Bartomeu verified on Tuesday that generally every gamer over the age of 30, omitting Messi, can leave.
” They are legendary gamers and they need to entrust to honours, however we have to talk case by case,” he informed Barca television.
There were minor doubts about the playing style Koeman has utilized throughout his managerial career and some other minor problems, such as settling on a severance package with the Dutch FA, however with an absence of other choices, it was complete steam ahead.
For Koeman, sources suggest that he felt this was a train he might let pass just many times. It was time to board it. People near him say he remains in “best health” after a heart scare previously this year and, after leading the Netherlands to their very first major competition considering that 2014, feels energised for what lies ahead.
The size of the job waiting for Koeman.
In an amazing interview aired on the clubs internal tv channel on Tuesday, president Bartomeu successfully made over-30 players such as Gerard Pique, Alba, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal and Suarez offered for transfer. (These big earners are all over 30, going into the final years of their careers and considered expendable.) Others, including Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti and Junior Firpo, have been pointed out in discussions (formally and informally) with half of Europes leading clubs.
Barca have the greatest wage expense in football, with this seasons accounts revealing that it comes in at over EUR500 million a year. Bartomeu admitted today that is a “problem” and, with the club predicting a EUR320m fall in income next season due to the coronavirus, they need to decrease it. That will be simpler said than done in the middle of a pandemic, not least because most of those players wish to stay. Its for that reason, perhaps, that Koeman struck a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday. He stated that age doesnt matter however that he will demand cravings and commitment from his players.
” I do not want to mention names; we have to search in the clubs best interests and make the very best team possible to try and win games,” he said.
” There are gamers of a particular age who you can begin to question, although a gamer who is 31, 32 or even 33 is not always completed– all of it depends on your cravings and whether you desire to give everything for the club. I just want to deal with players who want to be here, and if they are not happy here, then they need to say so. I just want people who are going to provide whatever for Barca.”.
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Julien Laurens calls Josep Maria Bartomeu “a disgrace” for his current transactions at Barcelona.
