Ronald Koeman, dismissed as coach of FC Barcelona

The FC Barcelona announced at dawn this Thursday the dismissal of the coach of the first team, Ronald Koeman, after the Catalans lost, in Vallecas (1-0), their second consecutive game in La Liga Santander.

“The president of the club, Joan Laporta, has informed him after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. Ronald Koeman has said goodbye to the squad tonight, “said the Barça entity in a statement thanking the Dutch coach for” the services provided “and wishing him” good luck “in his life and professional career.

The defeat against Rayo places the Barça team ninth in the standings, with 15 points out of 30 possible, which places them at the same distance -8 points- from the leader of the competition, Real Madrid, as from relegation.

To the bad game of the team and the bad results in the League – he still does not know what it is to win as a visitor this season – we must add the bad start in the Champions League.

And it is that in the maximum continental competition he has suffered two goals against Bayern Munich (0-3) and Benfica (3-0) and has only been able to beat Dinamo Kiev by the minimum at the Camp Nou (1-0 ).

Sources of the Barcelona club confirmed to EFE that the favorite to occupy the bench that Koeman leaves vacant is Xavi Hernández, current coach of Qatari Al Sadd.

However, the hiring of the former captain of Barça is not yet closed, so the team’s coach, Sergi Barjuan, could direct the team on an interim basis during the visit of Deportivo Alavés in the domestic competition, this Saturday, and in a new Champions League match in Kiev next Tuesday. (D)