Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman is under intense pressure, and president Joan Laporta has also not provided any long-term assurances. So, while the Barcelona chairman and president offers support to the Dutchman, Laporta withholds from offering Koeman a contract extension.
The latest transfer rumours cite Thierry Henry as someone that Barcelona management have an eye on to replace Ronald Koeman.
Football transfer news have also identified Andrea Pirlo as a favourite to become the new head coach. But then there’s the football news that Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez could be a priority target for Barcelona.
There have even been suggestions in the Spanish press that Ronald Koeman’s future depends on Thursday’s meeting with Cadiz.
Essentially, if Barcelona fails to win all three points on Thursday at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, they will fire the 58-year-old.
However, president Joan Laporta says the outcome of this match has no bearing on Ronald Koeman’s job as Barcelona’s manager.
Laporta Withholds from Offering Koeman a Contract Extension
But the Barcelona president has warned, about coach Koeman, that “if decisions have to be taken, we will take them”.
Instead, president Joan Laporta read a prepared statement in which he urged Barcelona fans to be patient with the process.
Laporta also claimed that the club’s hierarchy – including he himself – was completely behind Koeman leading the Catalan club’s first team.
While Laporta reassured Koeman of the management’s backing, the Barcelona president stopped short of any sort of guarantee for him.
He did not reassure fans that the former Netherlands manager would remain in charge even if results did not improve.
“Koeman’s future doesn’t depend on the result tonight,” he told El Chiringuito outside the Barcelona team hotel on Thursday.
“We are with the coach. He’s Barca’s first-team coach and what we want is for things to go well.
“All coaches, not just Koeman, depend on results, and in Barca’s case on their style of play. Koeman is our coach and we’re with him today.”
Barcelona have lost five of their last eight La Liga games dating back to last season. This is as many as they had in their previous 24 matches in the competition.
As such, in light of this, they currently sit eighth in the table with a game in hand.
