On Wednesday, crisis-stricken Barcelona hailed the “return of a legend” as the Spanish giants officially named Ronald Koeman as their new manager until 2022.
“FC Barcelona and Ronald Koeman have reached an agreement that the Dutchman will take over as manager of the first team until 30 June 2022,” the club said in a statement.
Former Barca star Koeman, who has been leading the Netherlands since 2018, will replace Quique Setien, who was sacked after the Catalans were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.
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The 57-year-old is the fifth Dutchman to coach Barcelona after Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis Van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.
“More than 30 years after his arrival as a player, Koeman comes once again as the manager of the club he helped win his first European Cup in 1992,” Barcelona said in a statement titled “Return of a football legend. Boat”.
“Koeman, the Wembley hero, is back,” the club added, the day after president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealed the Dutchman would take over.
That night in 1992, Koeman secured his place in Barca’s history, scoring the winning goal to claim the Catalan club’s first-ever success in Europe’s top club competition.
As a player, Koeman arrived in Barcelona in 1989, at the time the second most expensive signing in the club’s history behind Diego Maradona.
In his six seasons as a Barca player Koeman made 264 official appearances, scoring 88 goals while shining in Cruyff’s “Dream Team”, winning four consecutive La Liga titles between 1991-94.
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Koeman’s coaching career, however, has been mixed and comes with the Catalans in crisis.
Setien was sacked on Monday after the embarrassment against Bayern, which meant Barca ended the season without trophies for the first time since 2007.
Sporting director Eric Abidal was eliminated on Tuesday, paying the price for Bayern’s defeat and internal conflict that took place during a league season that saw them hand over the La Liga title to Real Madrid.
Former French international Abidal was replaced on Wednesday by Ramon Planes. Koeman will leave his role as coach of the Netherlands to his assistant Dwight Lodeweges as the national federation seeks a full-time replacement.
Oranje will play Poland on 4 September and Italy three days later in Amsterdam as part of the UEFA Nations League.
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“It has been an honor to be the coach of the Netherlands national team,” said Koeman, who would be in charge for the 2020 European championships, now postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Over the past two and a half years I have done everything possible to achieve success with the Oranje.
“I look back with pride on what we achieved together in that period. The Dutch national team has a bright future, I am convinced. “Koeman said that” everyone knows that Barcelona is my dream club. “
“It is very special for me to be able to become a manager there.”
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