Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta insists coach Ronald Koeman will be safe should he win the March election.
Laporta is favourite for the poll and says Koeman can be assured of his support.
“Koeman has a current contract and we will support our coach and the current squad,” said Laporta.
The former Barca president presented his ticket yesterday, which included ex-captain Carles Puyol and Mateo Alemany, once Valencia sporting director.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has dismissed questions about Luis Suarez.
Suarez has starred for LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid ever since he was pushed out of Barcelona this summer.
Suarez was again brought up in Friday’s press conference, with the player that Koeman shipped off to Atletico Madrid in the summer now the joint-top scorer of LaLiga Santander
“I don’t like to answer these questions,” the coach replied.
“He’s a great player, but we took the decision that we took.
“If you ask me every time he scores…”
Barcelona presidential candidate Victor Font denies he’s planning to dump Ronald Koeman should he win election.
Font has declared Al Sadd coach Xavi as part of his ticket.
But he told El Espanol: “I answered a question where I was asked if Xavi felt ready.
“He feels ready to help the club when needed. Now we have to support Koeman, who is doing a very good job.”
Previously, Font has said: “If the season ends badly, Xavi would be the coach of FC Barcelona next season and general manager at the same time.”
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has explained withdrawing Lionel Messi from their clash with Champions League opponents Dynamo Kiev.
Koeman has opted to leave his star man in Barcelona as the team travel to Ukraine for their fourth Champions League group game of the campaign.
“We have decided not to bring Leo or De Jong because the situation in the Champions League is good and they can rest,” he said at the pre-match press conference.
“They have played many games. We talk too much about [Messi]. He has always had a lot of influence on the club’s success and he can still continue to do so. We believe it is a good time for Leo and Frenkie to rest. They have played every game and almost every minute, they have had to travel [a lot].
“Sometimes you have to protect the players because the calendar is incredible. It is impossible to keep the players in shape, look at Sergi Roberto. If he is injured it is because of the large number of games he has played.
“Or Ansu Fati. Everyone knows it, but we have to keep playing. It’s incredible. It’s time for everyone to think about this, FIFA, UEFA…”
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has reaffirmed aims to buy two players in January.
Ansu Fati has undergone surgery and will be sidelined for the next four months. However, Koeman has revealed that Barcelona are not planning to sign any player to cover for him in January.
“We don’t have to sign [any player] for this injury,” Koeman noted. “We had already spoken with [Barcelona technical secretary] Ramon Planes and everyone already knew which positions had to be strengthened.
“We were looking for a forward and a centre-back and everything remains the same.”
Real Betis great Joaquin has launched a furious attack on Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman.
The pair previously clashed when together at Valencia.
And Joaquin, before this weekend’s LaLiga game, declared: “He is not going to greet me and I am not going to greet him.
“It was not the most beautiful experience of my sports career. It was not pleasant, but as I always say, one has to live through everything and that happened at that time. I don’t want to talk about that issue because honestly what happened hurt me.”
Joaquin says he’d never hire Koeman for Betis – “not even as a maintenance man”.
“I turned the page, we said everything. Fortunately, it did not last long and we were able to save the year by finishing in the most dignified way possible because the year (at Valencia) was very difficult.”
Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman admits he expects Lionel Messi to leave at the end of the season.
Koeman suggested Messi is not planning to stay at the club past this season. Manchester City have already said they will be in a position to sign Messi if he becomes available.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman admits he expects Lionel Messi to leave at the end of the season.
Koeman suggested Messi is not planning to stay at the club past this season. Manchester City have already said they will be in a position to sign Messi if he becomes available.
He said: “I was always hoping Messi would stay for this season. If he had left in the summer, I would have had a very different situation at Barca.
“He wanted to leave but the club was very clear to him. The buy out clause was so high, that not a single club in the world was going to pay that in these times.
“I went to his house and took time to listen to all the things he said. But I also explained to him that I had not been a part of the problems he had with the club and told him how I was going to work to change things.
“We ended up talking football tactics. It ended as a proper football chat and that convinced me he is a real lover of the game and he still wanted to put everything he has into Barcelona.”
He said: “I was always hoping Messi would stay for this season. If he had left in the summer, I would have had a very different situation at Barca.
“He wanted to leave but the club was very clear to him. The buy out clause was so high, that not a single club in the world was going to pay that in these times.
“I went to his house and took time to listen to all the things he said. But I also explained to him that I had not been a part of the problems he had with the club and told him how I was going to work to change things.
“We ended up talking football tactics. It ended as a proper football chat and that convinced me he is a real lover of the game and he still wanted to put everything he has into Barcelona.”
Lionel Messi was back in scoring business for FC Barcelona on Sunday, leading them to a resounding 4-0 win at home against Villarreal.
It was a near-perfect La Liga opener for the Catalans under new coach Ronald Koeman.
Teenage forward Ansu Fati was in inspirational form for Barca, combining with Jordi Alba to side-foot home first time into the net in the 15th minute.
He then struck again four minutes later with another ice-cool finish.
Fati, the 17-year-old in his second season in Barca’s first team after a stunning rise last year from the club’s youth set-up, then won the penalty kick.
Team captain Messi dispatched to score the third in the 35th minute.
Villarreal defender Pau Torres scored an own goal right at the end of the first half to heap more pain on Unai Emery’s side.
Barca continued to dominate the game in the second half without managing to add to their hefty advantage.
Koeman, who succeeded Quique Setien in August after the crushing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, could hardly have hoped for a better start.
This was after the chaotic close season overshadowed by Messi’s attempt to leave the club.
The Argentine had unleashed his latest attack on the club’s hierarchy only on Friday, criticising the manner in which his former strike partner Luis Suarez had been forced out of the club.
Suarez enjoyed a superb debut at Atletico Madrid earlier on Sunday, but Barca did not seem to be missing the Uruguayan.
They played with more pace and freedom than for many parts of last season, launching quickfire counters as well as building from the back.
“It was a good game for us, especially in the first half. We were much better than them, we created lots of chances and scored four goals,” said Barca midfielder Sergio Busquets.
“We dropped our intensity a bit in the second half and they made things more difficult for us. But, overall, we leave our first game with good sensations. We’re close to the team we want to be.”
The former Barca defender Koeman handed La Liga debuts to 17-year-old Pedri, Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao and Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic in the second half.
Ousmane Dembele also came on for his first competitive appearance for Barca since last November after returning from hamstring surgery.
Barcelona are set for a huge fire sale under new manager, Ronald Koeman – with 12 players reportedly up for grabs.
Big names like Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti are facing the chop as the Spanish club looks to rebuild following their 8-2 Champions League humiliation and the prolonged Lionel Messi transfer saga.
The Catalan giants are also believed to be on the hunt for new names in their dramatic squad overhaul.
But with Lionel Messi set to stay, the inflated wage bill must first come down to accommodate expensive signings.
Along with Suarez and French international Umtiti, the likes of ex-Middlesbrough flop Martin Braithwaite and Arturo Vidal could also be shown the door.
Liverpool fan favourite Suarez, 33, is tipped with a move to Juventus costing around £2.8million plus £12 million in variables, which would link him up with superstar Cristiano Ronaldo after he spent the last few years alongside Messi.
The deal appeared close before Atletico Madrid become involved and now the Uruguayan is considering staying in Spain, reports say.
If he were to leave, that would leave Braithwaite as the only recognised out-and-out striker at the club.
But Koeman is reportedly not keen on him either and is open to offers, despite the 29-year-old’s professionalism.
Vidal’s move to Inter Milan has stalled, with reports suggesting this is due to the financial repercussions of the coronavirus lockdown.
And Umtiti also looks set for a move away from the Nou Camp after Koeman told him he can go.
Along with the big names, the clear out could also see centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo on his way – with Leicester and Everton linked to him – and Nelson Semedo’s position is far from secure.
Rafinha’s future appears to lie in the Premier League with Arsenal and Leeds battling it out for his signature.
Left backs Junior Firpo and Miranda, along with youngsters Moussa Wague, Barcelona B central midfielder Monchu and defensive midfielder Oriol Busquets, may also be axed from the club.
Former Everton boss Koeman is believed to be taking no prisoners to fix the crisis-hit club.
Along with their dismantling by Bayern Munich, the club also finished five points off La Liga champions Real Madrid in a disappointing domestic season, with Quique Setiens sacked after only eight months in charge.
On the bright side for Barcelona fans, rumours persist that Lyon hotshot Memphis Depay is on his way to join his former international manager.
Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman is lining up a move for Lyon attacker Memphis Depay.
RAC1 says Koeman sees Depay as a striker and plans to replace Luis Suarez with the Holland international.
Indeed, Koeman is arguing Depay would be a more affordable attacking signing than Inter Milan ace Lautaro Martinez.
Depay has a deal with Lyon to 2021 and Barca rate the former Manchester United winger at €40m.
Along with Depay, Koeman is also keen on fellow Dutchman Donny van de Beek, of Ajax.