Koeman's future in the spotlight

Copa del Rey final result could influence whether the Dutch coach stays at the Camp Nou

Posted Saturday, April 17, 2021 by Marca.com

Ronald Koeman came out fighting in Friday's pre-match press conference, defending his record as Barcelona coach and making clear he felt it was ridiculous he had to answer questions on his own future, yet the fact remains that such a matter is in the spotlight in Seville.

If Koeman wants to avoid losing his job, then winning the Copa del Rey final against Athletic Club on Saturday would be a huge positive step, however a defeat could be truly damaging, despite his insistence that he has the support of new Barcelona president Joan Laporta.

The Dutchman has a large amount of fans on his side, not least due to his playing career in Catalonia, but there are also a significant number who are against him, stemming in part from the fact he was appointed by the detested administration of Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Just prior to heading out of Barcelona, Laporta missed a great opportunity to publicly commit to his coach, but instead he opted to remain silent when asked about Koeman's continuity, and this isn't something he did when facing the same questions regarding Lionel Messi.

It will be LaLiga Santander which will determine how Koeman is judged this term, but winning his first trophy as coach on Saturday wouldn't do him any harm at all.

A reaction is needed

The truth is that an idea has been instilled in Barcelona that this team can't respond to great challenges, hence why they've been beaten by PSG, Real Madrid, and Athletic Club in the Supercopa de Espana final.

They also haven't been able to beat Atletico Madrid either, so Koeman needs to show his team can win a big game on Saturday, he needs to show he is capable of winning titles.

Koeman is calm

Despite pressure from the outside, Koeman believes that he will not be sacked and that he has one further year on his agreement with Los Cules.

He gave up leading the Netherlands at Euro 2020 and in the 2022 World Cup to take the Barcelona job, and he feels that they wouldn't have asked him to do just that if they weren't committed to his work, although again it must be remembered that he was hired by a different administration.

Another factor in Koeman's perceived job security is his positive relationship with the players, many of the squad are on his side and freely admit there has been an improvement since he took charge.