Ronald Koeman has spoken about the situation at Barcelona.
The Dutchman is in the city to attend the Koeman Golf Cup, a tournament whose proceeds go toward the Johan Cruyff Foundation. He was candid with the assembled press.
Koeman was appointed as Barcelona coach during the summer of 2020 in the aftermath of the 8-2 humiliation they suffered to Bayern Munich in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
He led La Blaugrana to a third-placed finish in his first season in La Liga and also managed to win the Copa del Rey, but lost Lionel Messi to Paris Saint-Germain during the following summer and began the 2021/22 season disastrously.
A defeat to Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas in late October sealed his fate and earned him a dismissal. In his place came Xavi Hernandez, who enjoyed a quick start to life at Camp Nou but has since come under pressure after a run of less-than-stellar results.
“The situation of Barcelona, of the team and of the club, is the same as when I was there,” he said as per Mundo Deportivo.
“That means that changing the coach doesn’t always mean being able to improve. The situation of the club hurts me, it hurts me. But from January first I will be the coach of the Netherlands.
“I just ask for maximum support for Xavi.
“He is a good coach and a legend of the club. It isn’t his fault that Barcelona are in this situation.
“The only thing I ask is support for Xavi. I didn’t have the full support of the president but I hope he’s learned and supports Xavi. I didn’t have the full support of the club: I hope Xavi does.
“When I left, [Real] Madrid were eight points ahead and now the difference is almost double that.”
Hilarious. Barca were ninth in the table when the angry Dutchman was fired, and the way they were playing, they were just as likely to drop further as they were to move up.
Time for him to get on with his life, or at least quit complaining publicly.
When you left, it was still around the beginning of the season. Complete idiot!
As a former player, you may be a legend, but as a manager, you are basically Van Gaal without vision.
Just put your ego to rest already.
Uncle Koeman is not right, he almost relegated miss barça, he shouldn’t even be talking.