Ronald Koeman set to replace sacked Quique Setien at FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona have confirmed that they have sacked first team coach, Quique Setien. The Spaniard oversaw a tough end to the season, as FC Barcelona slipped in the La Liga race, handing the league to rivals Real Madrid. At that time, however, Setien got the support of the president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, who told that the manager will be given another season to redeem himself.

The embarrassing loss to Bayern Munich changed everything. Since the 8-2 mauling, several reports have surfaced suggesting that Setien days were numbered at the club, with Bartomeu telling COPE, "Setien is out."

Netherlands boss and FC Barcelona legend Ronald Koeman has recently been labeled as the frontrunner to replace Setien, with Mauricio Pochettino, Xavi and Massimiliano Allegri also named as potential options.

On Koeman, Mundo Deportivo reported that he is close to agreeing to a two-year contract to take over the club and that means he will be leaving his current post as head coach of the Netherlands. 

FC Barcelona have also been rocked by rumors that Lionel Messi is determined to leave the club. It is also a possibility that it may be a tactic to pressurize Bartomeu into bringing the 2021 presidential elections forward a year, ending his time at the helm.

Bartomeu was questioned over the possibility if such a decision could be made but he urged fans to wait until the emergency board meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Monday morning and will involve discussions on how the club can recover from the recent damage.

The fans and many of the players have been wanting to see him walk away in 2021 as his transfer strategy has been doubted several times, with the expensive signings of Ousmane Dembele, Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann all under the microscope.

featured image credits- Sky Sports