Dutch manager has a big task to move out some massive names and must be quick to stamp his authority on the club“If nothing goes awry, the new manager will be Ronald Koeman,” Barcelona’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, said, and this time at least nothing did go awry. That was Tuesday night; on Wednesday morning it was confirmed, two days after the sacking of Quique Setién, one after the departure of Eric Abidal as sporting director. “Welcome home!” cheered the announcement, the club’s website calling him “one of us”.This was “the return of a blaugrana legend”, whose first task is to get rid of many others. Men even more successful than him. “It is time to offer an honourable farewell...
The humiliation by Bayern was a capitulation of a major side on a level not seen since the World Cup semi-final in 2014Barcelona cannot say they were not warned. Since 2017, their exits from the Champions League have been becoming increasingly embarrassing. Humiliation has followed humiliation. Perhaps finally now, after their 8-2 humbling against Bayern, their worst defeat since 1946, a performance that became shameful in its ineptitude, action will be taken.Occasionally matches take place that are the meeting of two historical trends. Here, on the one hand, there was the tactical dominance of Germany, the high line and the hard press, the slick muscularity, the rapid exchanges of a well-structured attack, that have become increasingly familiar at the highest...
Madrid’s title, Barça’s slump, Iago Aspas being Iago Aspas. Looking back, one feeling recurs most: that was this season?In the 101st minute of the 35th week, still playing way after midnight and well into summer in Europe’s hottest city, the two best things that can happen in football happened at the same time: a forward who had gone in goal saved a shot from a goalkeeper who had gone up front, stopping the man he had beaten from beating him back.It was that kind of season. Related: Premier League 2019-20 season review: our writers’ best and worst Fuenlabrada-Girona, a Cristóbal del local lo echan, se va al vestuario, el árbitro es llamado por el VAR, Cristóbal vuelve, le borran la...
The club that never expected to be in primera but came to belong has been relegated after a wild draw on the final dayIn the final pause before the final push, a voice broke the silence. On the pitch Leganés’s exhausted players sought strength from somewhere while their manager sought a solution, one last throw of a dice he had already rolled more times than he could remember. There were 14 minutes left at the end of the longest season, the sun had set and somehow they were still standing but survival was slipping away. Four years they had been in the first division, each of them a miracle, yet if they were going to stay they had to win...
The longest season had ended with Madrid’s third league in 12 years, just as the coach had hoped it wouldJust before 11pm on Thursday night, two months after the title race was supposed to finish and a few seconds after it actually had, two men working for the local council climbed up the statue of the goddess Cibeles, tied a Real Madrid scarf around her neck, draped a flag over her shoulders and climbed back down. Wearing hi-vis shirts, wellies and waders, they were the only ones who got close. Cars passed by beeping but on the street there were more police than people. Usually the scene of celebration, thousands gathering, this time fans had been asked to stay away...