Koeman’s final game in charge was the disappointing 1-0 defeat by Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday.
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Spanish giants FC Barcelona wasted no time in filling the void left by the dismissal of manager Ronald Koeman. The Catalan club announced that Sergi Barjuan, who is the current coach of Barca B, will take over as the interim manager. Under Koeman, Barca have struggled to assert their supremacy and the results have largely been indifferent. Following Lionel Messi’s departure, the Spanish club struggled for results this season, as the manager’s future looked uncertain for weeks now. Koeman’s final game in charge was the disappointing 1-0 defeat by Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday. It was their fourth defeat in six games in all competitions.
Barjuan, who was appointed as head coach of Barca B in June this year, has spent the majority of his playing career with Barcelona, having spent 14 years at the club in various levels during his playing days. A statement from the club read, “FC Barcelona hereby announces that Sergi Barjuan, the current coach of Barca B, shall be taking provisional charge of the technical management of the senior squad. His interim position as first team head coach shall end as soon as the club has hired full-time head coach to replace the dismissed Ronald Koeman.”
“FC Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, shall be officially introducing Sergi Barjuan to the first team squad this afternoon before the training session at the Ciutat Esportiva. Sergi Barjuan will be attending to the media tomorrow Thursday from 1.00pm CEST in the pressroom at the Ciutat Esportiva to discuss the game against Alaves, with president Joan Laporta also appearing.”
Following weeks of speculation, Ronald Koeman was earlier relieved of his duty as head coach of Barcelona after 14 months in charge. A statement had read: “Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva. FC Barcelona wishes to thank him for his service to the club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.”
The 1-0 defeat by Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Wednesday proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Koeman and his tenure as Barcelona manager. After the loss to Vallecano, Koeman, as per Sky Sports, said: “In the first 15 minutes, we had problems to get into the game. They pressed us well but after that, I think we controlled the game on a small pitch against a team that runs a lot and presses hard. We had good chances but we didn’t finish them.”
“Today we lost the match not because of our attitude, not because of the way we played because I don’t think there are other teams that had so many chances against them, therefore the issue is that we didn’t score and I can’t say anything else. It may be we are unlucky. It may be that we have injured players, but these are excuses because the team showed today and showed in the game against (Real) Madrid that we are at a good level. But being at a good level is not enough. What counts in the end is always the result and we lost the last two games. Everyone has to analyse their matches and I try to analyse today’s game – it’s incredible we lost.
“In the last few years our rivals, the best teams, were strengthened each season, while we couldn’t do it. And this is something that also counts – not in today’s game because in today’s game the injuries had a huge part. I think we played a good game, even if you shouldn’t talk about ‘good games’ when you don’t score.”
