Ronald Koeman has been under fire at Barcelona for virtually the entire time he’s been in the hot-seat, taking over at a time of incredible upheaval both on and off the pitch.
The Dutchman, a club legend, certainly hasn’t inspired confidence in the big games, leaving supporters disappointed for the most part.
His future has been the subject of much debate over the last few weeks, with the Saturday evening fixture against reigning champions, Atletico Madrid, thought to be his last no matter whether the Catalans are able to pull off a shock result or not.
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However, ahead of the match, president, Joan Laporta, has sprung a huge surprise.
“I have spoken with him (Koeman), I have drawn my conclusions, he is a reference of Barcelona. ??I value very much that he assumed the role in a moment of difficulty,” he was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo on Saturday lunchtime, at the Madrid hotel where the team are staying.
“[…] Now that the injured are going to recover he deserves that margin of trust.
“We have spoken and to say it’s a cold relationship is not true. We have a good and sincere relationship, he is a good person and I think he thinks the same of me.
“We are trying together to make this work for the better.”
This apparent change of heart surely has more to do with the fact that the club can’t afford to sack him and that any potential replacements would be easier to acquire in the summer.