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Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has sent a message to supporters after president Joan Laporta confirmed he will stay on as coach of the first team at the Camp Nou.
Koeman had looked set to be fired after just one season in charge after a poor end to the campaign saw Barca miss out on being crowned La Liga champions The Catalans did have the destiny of the title in their hands but costly results against Granada, Atletico Madrid, and Levante saw the team finish the season in third.
However, Laporta has since announced that Koeman will stay on, and the Dutchman says he is relieved to hear of the decision and is looking forward to a brighter future at the Camp Nou.
He wrote on Instagram, “I am relieved to say my players and staff can fully focus on the new season now. The last few weeks have been intense, but I am glad that President Joan Laporta gave his support to me and calm has been restored. The focus of everyone inside the club is the same: building a winning Barça and achieving success.”
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Barcelona Set For Big Changes?
Koeman may be set to stay on at Barcelona but big changes are expected at the Camp Nou next season with Laporta keen to start a new cycle of success during his second spell in charge.
The 58-year-old has reportedly already told Koeman he wants the team to play more attacking football next season and even potentially revert to a more traditional 4-3-3 system.
Laporta has also been busy in the transfer market. Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero, and Emerson Royal have all been confirmed as new signings, and the president has also promised more arrivals this summer.
Netherlands internationals Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay continue to be linked with a move to the Camp Nou. Both players know Koeman well from his previous stint in charge of the Dutch national team before moving to Barcelona.
Barca Set For Summer Exodus?
Barcelona will also wave goodbye to players this summer with a host of stars expecting to leave now Koeman’s future has been assured. The Dutchman rarely rotated in his first season in charge and tended to use the same core group of players.
Fringe players such as Miralem Pjanic, Matheus Fernandes, Samuel Umtiti, and Junior Firpo have all been deemed surplus to requirements. The future of players such as Sergi Roberto and Ousmane Dembele are also uncertain with the duo out of contract in 2022 and yet to extend.
Barca fans will also be keen to see what happens with Riqui Puig. The talented youngster only made two La Liga starts in 2020-21 under Koeman but clearly has bags of potential.
The 21-year-old remains keen to stay at the Camp Nou but may have a big decision to make if he is likely to struggle for game time again, according to Javier Miguel at Diario AS.
Currently, the midfielder is not thinking about moving away, either permanently or on loan, and will join up with Barcelona for pre-season in the hope that Koeman may be willing to offer more opportunities next season.
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