New Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman is expected to oversee a massive overhaul of the squad as he leads them into a new era after their weaknesses were exposed in the 8-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich, president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said.
Koeman, one of Barca’s greatest ever players who was confirmed as the club’s new coach yesterday, will oversee the transition alongside Ramon Planes, the new chief technical secretary after Eric Abidal left the club. “The technical secretary and new coach will take drastic measures and they will affect certain players, who we should give a proper farewell to,” Bartomeu said in an interview with the club’s official television channel on Tuesday.
Bartomeu did not say which players would depart but referred to seven players who were not for sale: captain Lionel Messi, goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, defenders Clement Lenglet and Nelson Semedo, plus recent signings Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong and French winger Ousmane Dembele. Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets, who have been at the club since 2008 and are the longest-serving players after Messi, were omitted from Bartomeu’s list, meaning they could face an exit after 12 trophy-laden years in the first team.
Jordi Alba, Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez, crucial members of the team that won the treble in 2015 as well as the La Liga titles in 2016, 2018 and 2019, were also absent. “These are players who have given their best days to the club and been part of the club’s best years. They have won a lot of trophies and had a lot of success,” added Bartomeu.
“Some of those decisions have already been taken by others and some will be taken soon by different people. The players will not be consulted on these decisions. It’s very important to listen to opinions but the coach and technical secretary will take the decision together.”
Barca will face a challenge in selling some players due to having the biggest wage bill in world football, at a time when all clubs are facing serious financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which has stripped them of matchday revenue and ticket sales. Bartomeu added that the club are still trying to sign Argentina forward Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan but said it was now “impossible” to bring Neymar back to the club as Paris St Germain no longer wish to sell the Brazilian.


Koeman takes well-worn path between Holland 
and Barcelona
Koeman’s appointment as Barcelona’s new coach keeps up a lengthy love affair between the Catalan club and the custodian and heirs of ‘Total Football’ and will have supporters hoping he can be as successful as his compatriots. He is the fifth Dutchman to take on the job, following in the footsteps of Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.
Michels was first to take a now well-worn path, appointed in 1971 and when Cruyff came to join him as a player, they ended the club’s long title drought by winning La Liga in 1974. Cruyff was an instant cult hero after masterminding a 5-0 victory at Real Madrid just a few months after his arrival and leading the side through to a first championship since 1960.
He then cemented his status with four La Liga titles after he took over as coach in 1988, building the playing style and creative culture that is the essence of the modern Barcelona ethos. “Johan Cruyff painted the chapel, and Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it,” said Pep Guardiola, one of his successors.
Barca won 11 trophies under Cruyff, including their first European Cup in 1992 when Koeman blasted home an extra time free kick in the final against Sampdoria at Wembley. Ironically, they were clad in orange kit that night, looking very much like the Dutch national team. Van Gaal had two spells at Camp Nou, winning the Spanish league twice but not having any success in Europe.
It was Rijkaard who was at the helm in 2006 when they won Europe’s top club prize, by then renamed the Champions League, for a second time, beating Arsenal 2-1 in Paris. Koeman is the first Dutch coach at the club since Rijkaard, who was replaced by Guardiola.
He will have to move quickly to restore confidence after they finished second to Real Madrid in the title race and then suffered a crushing 8-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in last week’s Champions League quarter-final.
But it will be familiar terrain for Koeman, after playing at the club and then also working there under Van Gaal as an assistant coach. Koeman, 57, also coached at Valencia and returns now with experience from spells at clubs in Portugal and England, on top of restoring the Dutch national team’s profile after they missed out on the 2018 World Cup in Russia.