Barcelona have appointed former player Ronald Koeman as its new coach, following humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The 57-year-old Dutchman now on a two-year deal replaces Quique Setien, who was sacked after the game and he will be presented to the media at 5pm (UK time) on Wednesday.
Koeman, who spent six years as a player at Barcelona, has taken on the job after he left his role as manager of the Netherlands, which he held since 2018.
He won four La Liga titles and scored the winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final during his playing days at the Nou Camp, and was the preferred candidate of Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
After being confirmed as Barcelona’s fourth boss in the last three years, Koeman told the club’s publication;
Everyone knows that Barcelona is my dream club. 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.
Speaking on Tuesday – before Koeman’s appointment was confirmed – Bartomeu told Barcelona’s website;
We already know how he thinks and his philosophy. We bet on him. He was the first one we called in January. It’s a dream for him. As he was in Johan’s ‘Dream Team’, he knows Barca and how we understand football.
Setien was only appointed in January but left after overseeing Barca’s first season without a trophy since 2007/08.
Sporting director Eric Abidal – also a former Barcelona player – has left his role as sporting director on Tuesday. He has been replaced by his understudy, Ramon Planes.
