Ronald Koeman has been given a lifeline at FC Barcelona after a series of drama between his representatives and the new president of the club, Joan Laporta.
The Dutch coach has used a series of opportunities to state that the board of the club did not give him enough assurance that he would continue coaching the Spanish side in the forthcoming season.
His representatives had also used various platforms to criticize the club for not doing enough to make the coach know his fate at the club after the just concluded 2020-2021 season.
Ronald Koeman who signed a two-year deal with Barcelona when he became the coach of the club in August 2020, led the club to a third-place finish in Spanish La Liga.
Though he helped the club to win the 2021 Copa del Rey, his failure to win the La Liga title, Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Champions League linked him to speculations that he might leave the club this summer.
The tension at Barcelona reportedly landed him at a hospital in Spain after the just-concluded season. However, his representatives claimed he only went to the hospital for routine checkups.
On Laporta’s part, the Barcelona president stressed that the board of the club was evaluating the performance of Ronald Koeman and a decision on his future would be made before the commencement of pre-season.
Koeman and his representative had to wait for weeks for the resolution the club’s board would take on the future of the coach who was the former coach of the Netherlands national team.
As it stands, the drama between Koeman and Barcelona has been put on hold as the president of the club, Joan Laporta said the Dutch tactician would remain the coach of Barcelona in the forthcoming season.
The club’s president said: “After this period of reflection, vice-president Rafael Yuste and myself have agreed that we will continue with the current contract that Ronald Koeman has.
“We are very pleased to see that these talks have borne fruit in a unity of judgment.”
🗣 @JoanLaportaFCB: ❝ Ronald Koeman will continue to be the Barça manager next season ❞ pic.twitter.com/nLo2bvCGMo
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 3, 2021
This means that Ronald Koeman should not expect any contract extension this summer. He would have to see through the one season left on his contract with the club.
The club had already added two former Manchester City players – Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia to the coach’s squad ahead of the 2021-2022 season.
