5 most likely candidates to replace Ronald Koeman at Barcelona
Barcelona have relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as manager of the club. After getting off to a poor start to the season, there was immense pressure on Koeman as the club took on Real Madrid last weekend.
Successive losses seal Ronald Koeman's fate as Barcelona manager
They lost 2-1 in the first El Clasico of the season and the defeat wasn't well-received by the Barcelona faithful. The loss against Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday proved to be the last straw and Barcelona were quick to pull the plug following that.
Barcelona released an official statement on their website.
"FC Barcelona has relieved Ronald Koeman of his duties as first team coach. The president of the club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. 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 question on everyone's mind right now is who is going to succeed Ronald Koeman. With plenty of high-profile managers linked with the job, let's take a look at five of the favourites to replace Ronald Koeman as Barcelona manager.
#5 Robert Moreno
Robert Moreno is a very familiar face at Barcelona. He worked as an assistant coach to Luis Enrique between 2014 and 2017. Moreno helped the club win several major triumphs during that time, including the continental treble in the 2014-15 season.
During his time as Barcelona assistant coach, the team won two La Liga titles, a Champions League, three Copas del Rey, a Spanish Super Cup, a European Super Cup and a FIFA World Club Cup.
Moreno was appointed as the head coach of the Spanish national team in 2019 after serving as the assistant the year prior. He led La Roja through the Euro 2020 qualifying stages and had an unbeaten record before he resigned to allow Luis Enrique to return to the helm.
He subsequently took over at AS Monaco before returning to Spain as manager of Granada this summer. Moreno is currently the manager of Granada but he is someone who is familiar with Barcelona.
He will also cherish the opportunity to coach the side. Speaking to the press after Granada's 1-1 draw against Barcelona in September, Moreno declared his interest in becoming Barcelona's coach:
"I do not want to think of the situation of Koeman because of my respect to him, but the day Barca calls me, I will go on my knees."
🗣️ — Robert Moreno (Luis Enrique's ex-assistant coach): "In the Camp Nou everything becomes complicated for the opposition. 90 minutes in Barcelona is very long." https://t.co/nLX70NDEaY
#4 Roberto Martinez
Despite not winning any silverware with the Belgian Red Devils, Roberto Martinez has proved his credentials as a coach over the past three years. He has led Belgium to first place in the FIFA World Rankings and has helped them maintain their place at the top for three years now.
The former Spain international's work has caught the eye of Barcelona's top brass but it remains to be seen if he'll be willing to leave the promising national side. He has a contract with Belgium until the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Martinez's work for the Belgian national side is very akin to how managers work with clubs. He has overseen the development of a new training facility and has a flourishing scouting system. Despite the lack of extensive time available to train together, Martinez's Belgium have their own established style of play.
Barcelona 'sack Ronald Koeman after Rayo Vallecano loss' as Roberto Martinez in the frame express.co.uk/sport/football…