Published 15:04 IST, December 10th 2020
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman's job not under threat amid institutional turmoil at Camp Nou
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman will not be sacked until January considering the institutional turmoil at Camp Nou following Josep Bartomeu's resignation.
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Spanish giants Barcelona put in an embarrassing display against Juventus on Tuesday as the Turin-based outfit struck thrice past Marc-Andre ter Stegen to seal a magnificent victory at Camp Nou. The defeat has brought manager Ronald Koeman under the spotlight with his side already struggling with their worst ever start to a LaLiga campaign, with Koeman sacked rumours doing the rounds. However, the Dutchman's position at the club is safe, largely due to the institutional turmoil that has rocked Camp Nou since the resignation of president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
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Barcelona's LaLiga struggle continues
Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice from the spot at Camp Nou, apart from a bicycle kick from Weston McKennie to inflict arguably the harshest defeat for Barcelona this season. Interestingly, Lionel Messi's men were unbeaten in the Champions League campaign this season until Juventus' heroics exposed their hollowness on Tuesday.
Barcelona's struggle in LaLiga is no hidden secret. The Camp Nou outfit are nowhere near the top four in LaLiga standings, leave alone a top spot. Koeman's men have already sustained four defeats in the Spanish domestic competition, while also racking up an equal number of victories in 10 games.
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Institutional turmoil a blessing in disguise for Koeman?
Barcelona sit ninth in the LaLiga standings, with just 14 points to their credit. The Catalan giants trail by 12 points to league leaders Atletico Madrid. In a normal scenario, the manager would have faced the axe by now. But Koeman still has some more months to initiate changes on the field.
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President Bartomeu tendered his resignation in October before a vote of no-confidence, which ought to sack him, following his tumultuous relation with Messi. Ever since, the club are without a full-time president. The club's day to day activities ate being looked after by interim president Carles Tusquets and a management committee.
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Koeman sacked talks reignite, but Interim Barcelona board cannot act
The club's statute suggests that an interim Barcelona board can carry out actions which are deemed essential and necessary to protect the outfit's interests and carry out routine activities. To this end, the interim board has no authority to sack the manager, which comes as a major sigh of relief for Koeman. Interestingly, an election for the new president has been scheduled for January 24, until when Koeman will continue at Camp Nou.
Image courtesy: Ronald Koeman Twitter
15:04 IST, December 10th 2020