Barcelona confirm appointment of Ronald Koeman as manager

Barcelona have appointed Ronald Koeman as their next manager, the club announced in a statement, as the La Liga giants look to rebuild after their 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week.

Koeman, who has left his role as manager of the Netherlands after two and a half years, has signed a two-year-deal with Barcelona, who sacked Quique Setien on Monday after he presided over the club’s worst defeat ever in European competition.

“FC Barcelona and Ronald Koeman have reached an agreement for the Dutchman to take over as first-team coach until 30 June 2022,” the club confirmed.

“A club legend and Barca’s hero at Wembley who gave fans their first European Cup, Koeman is coming back to the Camp Nou. But this time he will be in the dugout to lead the team.”

Koeman, who will be officially presented at the Camp Nou stadium later on Wednesday, is popular figure at Barca for his role in Johan Cruyff’s hugely successful side known as the ‘Dream Team’ and for scoring the goal that delivered the club’s first ever European Cup in 1992.

The defender later became the club’s assistant coach before embarking on a career as a head coach, managing Dutch sides Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord, plus in the Premier League with Southampton and Everton and La Liga’s Valencia.

Koeman said the opportunity to coach Barcelona was one he could not turn down.

Koeman scored the winning goal in Barca’s first Champions League triumph in 1992.

“Everyone knows that Barcelona is my dream club,” he told the Dutch FA’s website.

“It feels very special to me to be able to become a coach there.

“It was an honour to be the national coach of the Netherlands. Over the past two and a half years, I have done everything I can to achieve success.

“I look back with pride on what we have achieved together in that period. The Dutch national team has a bright future, I am convinced of that.”

He is the third man to take charge this calendar year, with Setien having only succeeded Ernesto Valverde in January.

The former Southampton and Everton boss will inherit a side which finished five points behind LaLiga champions Real Madrid and which failed to win a major trophy this season for the first time since 2013-14.

Barca last tasted glory in the Champions League in 2015 under Luis Enrique and, while Bartomeu has dismissed claims that star man Lionel Messi could leave the Nou Camp as a result of their recent decline, Koeman has a significant task on his hands.

He at least starts with plenty of goodwill in the bank from his six years as a player with the Catalan giants.

Koeman will be very familiar with midfielder Frenkie de Jong from his time as Dutch head coach.

The defender, nicknamed “Tintin”, made 350 appearances and scored 106 goals between 1989 and 1995 and claimed 10 trophies along the way – four league titles, a European Cup, a Copa del Rey, a European Super Cup and three Spanish Super Cups.

He is perhaps most fondly remembered for that winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final against Sampdoria at Wembley.

Koeman began his playing career in Holland with FC Groningen, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven and returned after his time in Barcelona to join Feyenoord, where he has also worked as a coach.

He has managed previously in Spain during a short spell with Valencia.

The Dutch FA’s director of professional football, Eric Gudde, said: “We regret Ronald’s decision but respect his choice.”

Assistant coach Dwight Lodeweges will act as interim national coach until the KNVB has appointed a successor.

Barcelona also announced that Ramon Planes is the club’s new technical secretary, a day after Eric Abidal parted ways with the Catalans.

Planes will be tasked with overseeing the club’s transfers and in particular managing a significant squad overhaul alongside the incoming Koeman.

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