Ronald Koeman is going through a hard time at Camp Nou same way the La Liga giants are in the midst of a financial crisis, but sacking him could worsen the situation.
The Dutchman is not a favourite among Camp Nou loyalists as the club sits tenth on the La Liga table after parting ways with club legend Lionel Messi earlier in the summer, but parting with Koeman could make matters worse.
The former Southampton and Everton manager will be out of contract in less than 12 months and has yet to negotiate a new deal that will extend his stay beyond June 2022.
Though the team’s performance under Koeman has not been impressive, the recent 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League was another blow to the already denting image of Barca’s history, which may see him leave at the end of his contract and could prove costly for the Catalan club.
According to Spanish media Marca, a clause in the Koman contract means that if the Camp Nou board decide not to extend his current contract, the Dutch will collect at least 6 million euros from Barcelona.
The report stated that the clause was included by former club president Josep Maria Bartomeu and that Koeman had paid close to that amount to the Dutch Football Association to terminate his contract with the national team in order to join Barcelona.
Pulling the trigger on the 58-year-old before the end of the season will require the club to compensate Koeman with around €14m.
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Barcelona’s last three home Champions League fixtures have seen them face some stern opposition in Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich – but Koeman’s men have barely laid a glove on any – seeing them lose to an aggregate score of 10-1.
The Blaugrana’s next three games may decide Koeman’s fate because these games are the matches they should win in the league against Granada, Cádiz and Levante.
They are currently battling injury crises making Pedri, Jordi Alba, Ansu Fati, Sergio Aguero, and Ousmane Dembele ruled out of action.
After he was asked about extending his stay with Barça, Koeman who caused quite a stir said: “I’m open to staying, I’m having a good time. Thanks to me, this club has a future,”
The last remark sparked anger among Barca fans whose morale is lowest in years.
