Only hours after firing Quique Setien from his post as Barcelona manager, the club honed in on Netherlands national team manager Ronald Koeman as the new helmsman.
While the agreement is yet to be official, most journalists conclude this is likely a done deal, considering that Koeman was among the first names surfacing upon an 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich on Friday's quarterfinal matchup of the UEFA Champions League.
Ronald Koeman admitted he wasn't expecting the opportunity to arise at this time, even mentioning that Barcelona was the lone team he had a release clause to facilitate his exit.
“I didn't expect things to go so fast, and it is not the best timing,” Koeman told FOX Sports. “It took me by surprise as well but Barcelona is the only club for which I had a release clause in my contract. It's ugly for the Dutch FA (KNVB) but not unexpected.”
Ronald Koeman has managed Ajax in his native Holland and then made a move to the Premier League after a few stops in Portugal, Spain, and his native Holland. He mustered a 44-17-30 record in 91 matches as the manager of Southhampton, but only pulled off a 24-14-20 record as the Everton boss in a tenure that lasted merely over a year.
The Netherlands boss (appointed in 2018) knows the deal with Barcelona isn't done until there's pen put to paper:
“You never know what could happen. With all due respect, there's nothing I can say at this point,” Koeman told NOS. “I would really like it [taking charge of Barcelona], but this is not the moment. There is no clarity yet. But, yeah, I would be open to it.
“Nothing is done until everything's been signed. Nothing is certain until there is a complete agreement. If it happens, it would be a dream come true.”
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