October 01, (THEWILL) – Beleaguered Dutch manager of Barcelona Ronald Koeman will keep his job ahead of the weekend’s match against Atletico Madrid, but will have time to think about his future during the international break.
Following a tumultuous summer, Barça have had a dismal start to the season. They have only won three of their first six La Liga games as they deal with financial difficulties and the post-Lionel Messi era.
In the Champions League, things have become even worse. Bayern Munich blew them out 3-0 on matchday one, and Benfica thrashed them by the same scoreline on Wednesday. Following that game, Koeman confessed that his job security was out of his hands, while he asserted that he still had his players’ support.
That support reportedly also exists in the boardroom, for the time being. Koeman will not be fired before his team’s crucial match against La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, with the club planning to review his position during the international break.
Losing against Los Rojiblancos would almost certainly be the final straw for Koeman, but he can take comfort in the fact that Atleti has yet to start the season.
The Catalan side has already spent some time considering the Dutchman’s replacement. Xavi is at the top of their desire list, but the Al Saad coach is hesitant to join the team in their current position. Other candidates are Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers, Imanol Alguacil, Andrea Pirlo, and Erik ten Hag, however Jordi Cruyff has already ruled himself out.
Phillip Cocu, who most recently played for Derby County, and compatriot Giovanni van Bronckhorst are also in the running for the job.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
