Relentless setbacks in the Champions League and La Liga only meant that Ronald Koeman’s job with Barcelona was clearly on the line. It was only a matter of time and the defeat against Rayo Vallecano (1-0) happened to be the last straw that broke the back of Joan Laporta, the Barca president. Currently, the Catalan club has a lot of unwanted items on its plate, the abysmal finish at La Liga, bleak Champions League prospects and dire financial circumstances. It is badly in need of a turnaround but who would spearhead the same for the much-celebrated club in the league circuit. Several names have been tossed around in the media circles to occupy the vacant slot with one person being the clear favourite. So, let us check out the options for Barcelona with regard to the next coach.
Xavi
As per reports, he looks almost certain to take over the coaching responsibilities of the Barca, though nothing is confirmed as of yet. The ex-midfielder of the Catalan club is currently the coach of the Saudi Arabia team and has even made his willingness to take up the Barca job very apparent recently. With the Catalan club, Xavi Hernandez as a player has helped it clinch 4 Champions League and 8 La Liga titles. Hence, he looks like an ideal guy to lift the team out of the present crisis but he had been offered the job earlier as well only to decline the same politely.
Antonia Conte
The Italian is another candidate perfect to give a booster shot to the struggling Barca side. The spate of defeats has wrecked the morale of the team and Antonia Conte with his immense experience as a manager could be the mentor the club needs now. So, Barca would also be eyeing the Italian for the job as they don’t have to shell out severance pay as Conte is not associated with any club right now after leaving Inter Milan. But there are strong rumours that Man United has zeroed in on Conte as an ideal candidate to replace Solskjaer, hence Barcelona will have to indulge in some off-field smart manoeuvers to woo the Italian to their fold.
Marcelo Gallardo
To bring the Argentine legend from Buenos Aires to Spain, the club management will have to perform something miraculous. Gallardo had previously caught the fancy of Barca and the club wanted the former Argentine player to replace Ernesto Valverde as the coach of Barca as well. However, Gallardo refused the offer. As a coach, the Argentine has aided his current club River Plate to lift trophies 12 times, so the Catalan club would not mind-bending its back to bring former Argentine football coach on board.
Erik ten Hag
The million-dollar question is: Will Barca woo another Dutchman for the job? However, the efficiency Hag brings to the table as a coach for the club can be gauged from his stint with Ajax. The Dutchman was instrumental in Ajax pocketing the Eredivisie title twice and under his tenure the Dutch football club came very close to grabbing the Champions League title in 2019 but eventually lost to Tottenham. These accomplishments will not be lost on Barca and would prompt them to keep their options open.
