Spanish press reports said that Barcelona's board of directors sacked coach Quique Setien, and that Dutch coach Ronald Koeman is just around the corner from coaching the Blaugrana, after being spotted at Barcelona airport on Sunday.
"Marca" newspaper reported that Barcelona club president Josep Maria Bartomeu admitted to Spanish radio correspondent Victor Navarro that Setien had been sacked, saying he had "gone out of the club".
Navarro told the radio station that the board of directors held a meeting at Camp Nou on Monday to approve the dismissal of Setien and the appointment of Coman as coach, indicating that the announcement would be soon.
đź’ĄĂšLTIMA HORAđź’Ą
Bartomeu a @victor_nahe:
🎙️ “Setién está fuera”.
El Presidente ha salido de la reunion con Abidal y Planes en las oficinas del club. pic.twitter.com/OCfy0uaxeu
- Tiempo de Juego (@tjcope) August 16, 2020
The newspaper said that Koeman, 57, is currently coaching the Dutch national team, but previously revealed a special clause in his contract that allows him to take over Barcelona coaching, and it may facilitate the postponement of Euro 2020 and the uncertainty surrounding international football. The process of his withdrawal from training his country's national team, and training the Blaugrana.
Ronald Koeman is set to replace Quique Setien as Barcelona manager, sources have told @moillorens. pic.twitter.com/nOkE4uox11
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 17, 2020
A huge crisis erupted in Barcelona after the humiliating exit from the Champions League quarter-finals; After a historic loss to Bayern Munich, 8-2, last Friday.
Coman is at the top of the list of 5 coaches who are candidates to take over Barcelona coaching, they are: Argentine Mauricio Buchino, former Barcelona star Xavi Hernandez, Dutch Patrick Clovert, and former French star Thierry Henry.
Koeman is the best coach to Barcelona at this sensitive time in the club's history, and this is due to:
Koeman has a great name in the world of football, whether with his country, who won the Euro 1988 with him, or Barcelona, ​​who represented him in the golden generation, which he called the "Dream Team" from 1989 until 1995, and was crowned with him as a player in the European Super and the Champions League in 1992. - It is the first title in the history of the club - He also won the Spanish League 4 times, the Cup title once and the Spanish Super 3 times.
Coman represented Barcelona in 192 matches, during which he scored 67 goals, which is a record as he was a defender, but he was characterized by missile shots, which he scored many of the club's historic goals.
Coman has a strong "charismatic" personality that makes him convince the stars of the team, headed by Lionel Messi, who was guiding the team in the presence of Setien and ignoring the assistant coach as well, and this point is the most important point in tipping his scales over the rest of the candidates, who do not possess these characteristics combined.
Koeman has proven that he is a capable coach and thoughtful of his successful leadership of the Dutch national team since 2018, and he regained the team's glory by winning the major European teams, and achieving the first European Nations League title last year after defeating Portugal in the final match 0-1 against Portugal.
Coman also has a long experience and a great training history that makes him the first deservedly among all the candidates, some of whom are still at the beginning of his coaching career, as he started after his retirement as assistant coach of Barcelona between 1998 and 2000, and then moved between many European teams.
Coman also outweighs his intense love for the Catalan club, which made him declare that his dream, which everyone knows is to coach Barcelona.