Barcelona, Wednesday

Ronald Koeman has been confirmed as Barcelona’s new manager on a two-year deal. 

The 57-year-old arrived at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport on Tuesday afternoon and signed a deal that has seen him leave his position as boss of the Dutch national team to take the reins of his former club. 

Barcelona dismissed Quique Setien on Monday following Friday night’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter finals of the Champions League.

Koeman will be officially unveiled during a press conference at 5pm (UK time) on Wednesday after penning a contract until the summer of 2022.

The club are yet to confirm who will make up the Dutchman’s backroom team, although former Barca striker Henrik Larssson could return as assistant manager. 

A statement on Barcelona’s official website following Setien’s sacking read: ‘This is the first decision within a wider restructuring of the first team which will be agreed between the current technical secretary and the new coach, who will be announced in the coming days.’ 

On Tuesday afternoon, technical director Eric Abidal was dismissed in a remarkable u-turn and pressure is building on club president Josep Maria Bartomeu following the hammering by Bayern, a result seen as the worst in the club’s 120-year history. 

‘Barcelona and Eric Abidal have reached an agreement for the ending of the contract that united the two parties,’ the club announced in a short statement on their club website.

‘The club would publicly like to thank Eric Abidal for his professionalism, commitment, dedication and the close and positive nature of his relationship with all aspects of the blaugrana family.’

It is a major U-turn from the Catalan giants in the space of just 20 hours, as on Monday they insisted that Abidal would lead the club in their search of a new manager. He has since been replaced by his former assistant, Ramon Planes.

Bartomeu was said to favour the appointment of former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino but Koeman, who has a house in Barcelona, has been appointed instead.  -AFP