Koeman had taken office at Barcelona in August 2020 by Quique’s. At that time, the President was still Josep Bartomeu, but in March 2021 it was replaced by Laporta.
The relationship Koeman / Laporta was strained from the beginning, the Dutchman missed backing. Laporta could not ride a clear commitment per koeman. “I admit that I was angry and injured. I found that he was lacking in respect,” said the Dutch in the interview with the Spanish newspaper “Sport” in September 2021. But Koeman said he was grateful For the backing, which he had recently received.
But that did not last long, especially since the successes. One month later Koeman was released. “Maybe we had to disconnect from Koeman earlier, but I take responsibility,” says the versativary comment Laportas.
In retrospect, Koeman explained his view of things to the “Algemeen Dagblad”. “You did not give me the time you have given the new coach Xavi. It is still painful for me,” said the 58-year-old. In addition, he made the injury spoken responsible for the former misery. “Now Pedri and Ousmane Dembelé is back in shape. That’s what you can see everything.”
And then there would be the topic of Messi: At the push of the club management, Koeman agreed to the departure of some players for financial problems. “But then you’ll get someone for 55 million euros, shortly after leaving Lionel Messi (Ferran Torres, d. Red.). Then you ask yourself if something else has happened. Why did Messi have to go?”
Which would then be at Laporta. “Every coach takes time and patience from the board. I would have liked these new commitments.” Koeman was “not the coach of Laporta”. “I had from the first moment to this feeling, after the elections it did not click.” The necessary “support from above” was missing. It was not important to have been the money, he just wanted to succeed with Barça. “But I realized that Laporta wanted to get rid of me because I was not appointed by him.”
Koeman avoids the Camp Nou because of Laporta
Spicy is also the next statement Koemans. “Laporta told me a thousand times that Xavi would not become his coach because he lacks the experience,” Barcelona’s victorious scorer claimed in the final of the European Champion in 1992. Only a few days after Koeman’s dismissal, Xavi’s return to Catalonia was already perfect.
Incidentally, Laporta will not have to be set to a direct confrontation in the near future. “You will not see me in Camp Nou for a while, I can not do that yet. In this president, I can not do that as if nothing had happened.”