Ronald Koeman has raised eyebrows with comments he’s made about Joan Laporta. The Barcelona coach and president enjoy an interesting relationship; Laporta openly tried to bring in another coach over the summer only to stick with Koeman once it became clear it wasn’t going to be possible to recruit a replacement.
Ronald Koeman:
“My relationship with Joan Laporta has improved. But last week there was something going on of which I think should not be done. He was suggesting that the manager doesn’t have the full power. He spoke a little too much.
This club has a future thanks to me.”
— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) September 12, 2021
“My relationship with Joan Laporta has improved,” Koeman said in comments carried by Zach Lowy. “But last week there was something going on of which I think should not have done. He was suggesting that the manager doesn’t have the full power. He spoke a little too much. The club has a future thanks to me.”
Barcelona face a difficult season. They lost Antoine Griezmann and the irreplaceable Lionel Messi this summer, and are now heavily reliant on their younger guns to step up to the plate and help the club compete in La Liga and the Champions League. They opened the season with a 4-2 defeat of Real Sociedad before drawing 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao and recording a 2-1 win over Getafe. Bayern Munich are up next.
Koeman has, partly out of necessity, not been shy to bring through younger players. He gave Pedri his debut, and enabled the likes of Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza to earn valuable first-team experience. This summer he’s brought in players he’s worked with in the past, like compatriots Memphis Depay and Luuk de Jong. This term is massive for him.
