According to ESPN’s Moisés Llorens, the Barcelona board has decided to remove Garcia Pimienta, the head coach of Barcelona B. This is a completely unexpected turn of events. Pimienta was rumoured to be in the running to succeed Ronald Koeman as head coach of the first team, alongside the likes of Xavi. The news, therefore, comes off as a shock.
The 46-year-old was Barcelona’s longest-serving coach, having spent his entire coaching career with the Catalan club. At Barcelona B, he developed players such as Riqui Puig, Moriba, and Collado. His faith in the young talents and total football style of play would have earned him a strong contender to succeed Koeman.
Joan Laporta took the action since he reportedly intends to fully restructure La Masia. A large part of his presidential campaign was based on restoring Barcelona to its roots, which included reformulating the youth system. Under Joan Laporta, a number of employees in senior positions at La Masia were fired and replaced with former occupants in order to re-emphasize La Masia’s importance in the Barcelona DNA.
Despite the Spanish coach’s impressive performance, the president is likely seeking a clean slate to start his first full season as the club’s president. Xavi is deemed a clear favourite to take the job. In a recent interview, the former player stated that he was ready to coach the first squad.
Xavi, on the other hand, has stated that he has no plans to handle Barcelona B. He said, “It is not my plan to coach Barcelona B. I’m a men’s football coach, and the B team is a development squad.”
It’s unclear whether Laporta will try to persuade Xavi to reconsider his mind or choose a whole new coach. Pimienta’s stint as Barcelona B manager, however, has come to an end, according to reliable reports.
