Ronald Koeman has been in charge of Barcelona for a couple of seasons now, and was recently defeated 3-0 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Despite the Dutchman winning the Copa del Rey in his first season with the club, there have been rumours that suggest the club wants to do away with him. As a result, here is the 5-man shortlist that Joan Laporta has reportedly drawn up.
Jordi Cruyff
The son of Johan Cruyff is one of the sporting advisers at the club, and leads the scouting department as well. He has managed in China and Ecuador for a while, but would only be an interim option before a more established name is announced.
Sergi Barjuan
Barjuan currently coaches the B team and would be a sensible solution for Barcelona in terms of economics and sporting decisions. Should he succeed, he could also be handed a long-term contract.
Henrik Larsson
Larsson is the third coach of the first team, and is known to keep his head down. He knows exactly what the team needs right now, and knows the players as well. So, he could be the man to replace Koeman should he be asked to leave.
Xavi Hernandez
Xavi was close to returning to Barcelona on several occasions before choosing to continue his time with Al Sadd. The legendary midfielder has been linked with Barcelona since starting his managerial career, and could finally make the switch at this point.
Erik Ten Hag
Ten Hag recently signed a contract extension with Ajax and is the least likely to be chosen as Koeman’s replacement. However, he is also on the list and knows what a club like Barcelona need to succeed on all fronts.
