Ronald Koeman will remain as Barcelona coach next season after the club agreed to honour his contract, president Joan Laporta said yesterday. Koeman, who was appointed last August by Laporta’s predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu on a two-year deal, led Barca to victory in the Copa del Rey in his first season in charge.
But the Catalans finished a disappointing third in La Liga, prompting speculation the club were looking for a replacement. Last month Laporta declared “a cycle has come to an end” and refused to back the coach publicly, saying the club needed more time to analyse the season.
But he brought the uncertainty to an end after the club agreed to ratify the coach’s future following a board meeting. “After the period of reflection we asked for after last season, we’ve decided to allow Ronald Koeman to continue under the terms of his current contract,” Laporta told a news conference.
“We’re very satisfied with how the conversations have gone, it was important that we had this period to get to know each other and we have spoken very frankly with each other.
“I want to highlight the impeccable behaviour of our coach in this time and we’ve tried to find some solutions to little differences we’ve had and we believe this is the best outcome for Barca, for us and for Ronald Koeman.”
Koeman’s agents had been confident for some days of this outcome, although they hit out at Laporta in a hastily removed tweet last Friday after the president said “we are in a period of reflection with him to see what we do”. They wrote: “Imagine: I want to marry you, but I have doubts. Give me two weeks to find a better partner… If I can’t find the right person, we will get married anyway!”
The decision to persist with Koeman comes in a week of busy if low-budget transfer activity. Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and the right-back Emerson Royal have been added to the squad and Georginio Wijnaldum is also signing. Talks are ongoing with Memphis Depay and the club are confident of landing the forward, whose deal at Lyon is about to expire.
Meanwhile contract negotiations continue with Lionel Messi. This week Laporta said discussions with Messi were “going well” and that “Leo wants to stay”.
Laporta had indicated during the presentations this week of Agüero and Garcia that he was leaning towards retaining Koeman and talks between, coach, president and vice-president Rafa Yuste and sporting director Mateu Alemany have been ongoing over the past few days. Chief among the negotiations has been Laporta’s preference for a settled style on the pitch. Koeman used a variety of formations during his first season in charge, often opting for three at the back, but his employer has laid out a condition for his continued position in the dugout: Barça will play a 4-3-3 and with a more attacking style.

Barcelona hire Jordi Cruyff in sporting director role
Barcelona have appointed former player Jordi Cruyff as assistant sporting director, strengthening the bond between the club and the Dutchman’s late father Johan. Jordi Cruyff, who made 54 appearances for Barca’s first team, has worked as a sporting director and coach at several clubs since retiring as a player.
He will leave his role as head coach of Chinese Super League side Shenzhen on Aug. 1 to work at Barca.
Johan Cruyff was one of Barcelona’s best players and a revolutionary coach who masterminded their first European Cup win in 1992.
He died in 2016 and the club have since built a statue of him outside the Camp Nou and named their youth team’s stadium after him.