Koeman appointed Barca boss on two-year deal

Ronald Koeman has been appointed Barcelona manager on a two-year deal. The 57-year-old Dutchman replaces Quique Setien, who was sacked following Barca’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Koeman, who spent six years as a player at Barcelona and was a member of Johan Cruff’s legendary ‘Dream Team’, leaves his role as manager of the Netherlands, which he had 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 president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Speaking on Tuesday – before Koeman’s arrival 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 – followed Setien through the exit door after leaving his role as sporting director on Tuesday.

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Other contenders to replace Setien included Mauricio Pochettino, who was the preferred candidate of director Ramon Planes.

However, there was understood to be resistance towards the former Tottenham manager because of his links with Barca’s city rivals, Espanyol, where he was both a player and a manager.

Other board members were keen on Xavi, who is currently in charge of Al Sadd in Qatar.