Joan Laporta is a busy man. Since being elected as Barcelona president at the beginning of the year he’s moved aggressively, now turning his attention to Barcelona B. According to ESPN and Marca, he’s told Garcia Pimienta that he won’t be continuing as coach, as well as dismissing other key figures at La Masia.
El President i la junta directiva tenen tota la legitimitat per prendre les decisions que considerin necessàries i beneficioses pel club.
Les que avui s’han pres respecte l’estructura de futbol base s’han d’explicar molt be. A la base hi tenim els fonaments del club.
— Toni Freixa (@tonifreixa) June 11, 2021
Garcia Pimienta’s dismissal is surprising. His team had fulfilled the clause in their contract that meant they were technically allowed to continue for another season, although Laporta decided to dispense with his services. It’s a real shock given he was mentioned as a contender to succeed Ronald Koeman when the Dutchman was under pressure last month.
Born in Barcelona, he came through La Masia himself and played for Barcelona C and Barcelona B before, briefly, representing the first team in 1997. Loans to Extremadura and Figueres followed, before he settled at Hospitalet and Sant Andreu. Garcia Pimienta hung up his playing boots in 2004 and became a youth coach at Barcelona in 2006, becoming the assistant at Barcelona B in 2015. He took charge of Barcelona B in 2018, a position he’s retained until just this morning.
