Former Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman spoke about the challenges facing the Catalan club in a recent interview.
The Dutch boss pointed to the departures of key figures like himself, Xavi, and Lionel Messi as one of the major problems bedevilling the club.
Koeman, who managed Barcelona from 2020 to 2021, expressed his concerns about the impact of losing such influential figures on the club’s identity and culture.
The Dutch coach oversaw a turbulent period at Barcelona, which saw a decline in form and the high-profile departure of Messi to Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite his efforts to stabilize the team, Koeman was relieved of his duties in October 2021, paving the way for Xavi to take over as the new head coach.
In a recent interview, Koeman emphasized that Barcelona’s issues extend beyond their on-field performance and that the departures of key figures have had a lasting impact on the club.
He reiterated that Messi’s exit, along with his own and Xavi’s departures, have left a significant void to be filled at the Catalan club.
Koeman said in a recent interview: “Barca’s problem is that Messi is out, I’m out, Xavi is out.”
“I think it’s better to respect the people, the legends of the club, much more important than fighting for a player.”
He expanded on his wish to come back to the team, sharing that his goal is to return to Barcelona in the future, but in a different role than as a coach, preferably under a new president.
He added: “If I have a dream, it is to return to Barca, not as a coach… but with another president.”
Ronald Koeman slams Barcelona over Frenkie De Jong’s injury
Ronald Koeman criticized Barcelona’s handling of midfielder Frenkie de Jong’s injury, questioning the club’s decision-making regarding the player’s fitness.
De Jong had a difficult 2023/24 season plagued with injuries, resulting in him making just 20 La Liga appearances for Barcelona.
His troubles continued when he suffered his third ankle setback of the season during the Clasico defeat to Real Madrid on April 21. Since then, the midfielder has not been able to play competitive football.
Meanwhile, De Jong did join the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024 but he left the camp after a warm-up match against Iceland, sparking concerns about his readiness to compete at the highest level.
Koeman asserted that De Jong is “worried” about his condition and should not have played for Barca while injured.
Koeman’s recent remarks indicate that he believes Barcelona may have rushed De Jong back too quickly, aggravating his injury problems and causing further setbacks.
It remains to be seen how Barcelona will respond to Koeman’s outbreak on their board and how they will manage De Jong’s recovery moving forward.
About Ronald Koeman
Ronald Koeman is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Netherlands national team.
Because of his goalscoring ability, he is considered one of the best attacking center-backs of all time.
Koeman scored over 250 goals whilst playing in defence for the majority of his career.
His managerial career
Koeman has had a successful managerial career, winning three Eredivisie titles with Ajax and PSV, coaching in Portugal and Spain.
The 61-year-old Dutch manager also managed clubs in the Premier League.
In addition, Koeman managed the Netherlands national team, finishing as runners-up in the UEFA Nations League.
He briefly managed Barcelona, winning the Copa del Rey before being sacked in 2021. He was reappointed as the manager of the Netherlands national team in 2023.
