Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he doesn’t know what the future holds for him, amid reports that his job could be on the line.
The Dutchman has remained in charge at the Camp Nou – where he spent six years as a player – after a tumultuous summer in which the true extent of Barca’s financial problems became clear as Lionel Messi departed for PSG at the end of his contract.
According to BTV Esports (via the Express), club president Joan Laporta has drawn up a shortlist of five potential replacements for Koeman – among them sporting advisor Jordi Cruyff, son of icon Johann, and B-team coach Sergi Barjaun.
Speaking to media, Koeman said: “I don’t know if my position is at stake because [the club] haven’t said anything.
“In the end, the club decide in the name of the president.
“There are people who want me to continue as a coach and others who think that Barcelona is looking for a new one.”
Barca came third in LaLiga last season, their lowest finish in 13 years – and they’ve made an unconvincing start to 2021-22, looking like a shell of their former selves in last week’s 3-0 home defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
The Blaugrana managed just three shots in that game. Playing with three at the back and Luuk de Jong – a target man – up front, things felt a far cry from ‘the Barcelona way’ instilled by Johan Cruyff and later perfected by Pep Guardiola.
Koeman is in charge of the team, of course, but this is a club still very much in crisis. And, as justified as any concerns over the on-field approach might be, off-field turmoil tends to filter down to one extent or another. It can hardly be helping the situation.
For now, though, Koeman remains in the hot seat, with Barca hosting Granada in LaLiga on Monday night.