La Liga
Xavi leads candidates to replace sacked Koeman at Barcelona
Barcelona are looking for a new coach after they sacked Ronald Koeman with the Spanish giants ninth in La Liga and third in their Champions League group.
A dire financial situation has hung over the club in recent months, causing Lionel Messi to join Paris Saint-Germain in August. Barcelona are €1.35 billion (S$2.11 billion) in debt.
Any successor would have to work within those economic constraints, bring back a more attractive style of football and significantly improve results.
Most importantly, Barcelona president Joan Laporta will want to see greater assurances that the team will finish in La Liga’s top four. Failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League would only deepen the club’s financial crisis.
AFP Sport looks at three leading candidates to become Koeman’s successor.
Xavi Hernandez
Xavi is currently in charge of Qatari side Al Sadd and would be a hugely popular choice with the Barca fans, given his glittering career at the Camp Nou as an elite midfielder.
There is also the belief that the 41-year-old would instil an attractive style similar to the one played by Barcelona when he was there under Pep Guardiola.
But Laporta has reportedly had reservations about appointing Xavi in the past, not least because of his lack of experience.
Xavi might also be reluctant to join, with the club in such a financial mess and now without his former teammate Messi.
He is though the clear favourite to take the reins.
Marcelo Gallardo
Gallardo has been manager of River Plate for seven seasons and long been touted for a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Barcelona.
The 45-year-old Argentinian has won 12 trophies in his time in charge of River and believes in a modern, eye-catching playing style based on possession football and counter-pressing.
Hiring someone without coaching experience in Europe would be a risk, however, and it could also be difficult to persuade Gallardo to leave the Buenos Aires giants
Erik ten Hag
Ten Hag has become one of the most highly rated coaches in the world for his work at Ajax, taking them to two Dutch titles and a Champions League semi-final in 2019.
The 51-year-old Dutchman would continue a long tradition of moves between Ajax and Barca, with the clubs united by their adoration of Johan Cruyff.
Ten Hag is a disciple of attractive, possession football but he is also fiercely loyal to Ajax and is not believed to be keen on leaving after signing a contract until 2023 last summer.
Also has admirers in the Premier League, reportedly including Manchester United.
– AFP
Barcelona turned the Clasico into a coronation on Sunday, swatting aside Real Madrid 2-0 at a roaring Camp Nou to claim their 29th LaLiga title.
Hansi Flick’s side moved to an unassailable 91 points, 14 clear of second-placed Real with three games remaining.
The triumph capped a dominant campaign in which they lost only four league matches. Villarreal are third on 69 points.
Real arrived needing victory to keep their wafer-thin title hopes alive, but Marcus Rashford crushed those aspirations just nine minutes into the game.
Antonio Rudiger fouled Ferran Torres just outside the box, and Rashford bent a superb free kick into Thibaut Courtois’ top-left corner, giving Barcelona the early lead and sending the home crowd into raptures.
Nine minutes later, Barcelona doubled the lead. Fermin Lopez crossed into the area, and Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel that sent the ball into the path of Torres, who rifled a fierce strike into the top corner.
The win completed back-to-back league titles for Flick, who also delivered the LaLiga and Copa del Rey double in his first season last year.
Both sides were heavily depleted. Barcelona were without Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Jules Kounde from the starting lineup.
Real’s list of missing players was longer, with Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Arda Guler and Rodrygo all absent. Federico Valverde also missed out after suffering a head injury following a midweek changing-room fight with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni, with both players fined 500,000 euros over the incident.
Kylian Mbappe did not travel because of a leg muscle injury, forcing manager Alvaro Arbeloa to start Vinicius Jr alongside academy striker Gonzalo, with Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz pushing forward in support.
Real threatened through Vinicius and Gonzalo before halftime, but Barcelona carried the greater menace. Courtois kept the visitors alive with fine saves from Torres and Rashford before the interval.
Barcelona continued to press after the break, Rashford repeatedly tormenting left back Fran Garcia down the right, while Courtois produced another sharp stop with his left foot to deny Torres from point-blank range in the 56th minute.
Bellingham had a goal ruled out for offside in the 62nd minute, and Joan Garcia was quick to deny Vinicius in a one-on-one, preventing the Brazilian from lifting the ball over him.
Real kept probing late on, but there was little bite in their attack, and Barcelona calmly saw out the win before the title celebrations began.
“This title is even more special because we won it at home against Real Madrid. Now it’s time to enjoy it with the fans,” Frenkie de Jong told Spanish broadcaster Movistar Plus.
“Every title has to be celebrated in style. Especially LaLiga, which is a year-long competition. We’ve clearly been the best in Spain.”
-Reuters
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Real Zaragoza goalkeeper Esteban Andrada was sent off for punching Huesca captain Jorge Pulido in a fiery Spanish second division clash on Sunday that descended into a mass brawl, with Huesca keeper Dani Jimenez dismissed for punching Andrada.
Zaragoza’s Dani Tasende was also dismissed after a VAR review of the brawl.
With tensions simmering in a relegation scrap, Argentine Andrada lost his composure moments before the final whistle. Ignoring the run of play, he approached Pulido and struck him in the face with his right hand, sparking chaotic scenes eight minutes into stoppage time.
It was an ugly flashpoint in a match already short on finesse and heavy on nerves, and could carry serious consequences for the goalkeeper.
Huesca manager Jose Luis did not attempt to defend the scenes.
“It’s hard to explain; I think it’s a complete loss of control. I can put myself in their shoes, given what was at stake and all. But it’s unjustifiable. It’s just that I don’t know what to do or how to stop it; a brawl breaks out,” he said.
“It’s ugly; this was supposed to be a celebration of Aragonese football. I’d like people to talk about the match, even though it was ugly, with little play but a lot of hard work.”
Oscar Sielva’s goal secured a 1-0 win for Huesca, lifting them to 36 points in 19th place, while Zaragoza remain second-bottom on 35.
-Reuters
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Joan Laporta has been re-elected as Barcelona president after winning over 68 percent of the vote and will begin his second consecutive term, and fourth overall, from July 1, the club said on Sunday.
The 63-year-old took office in March 2021 and stepped down last month in line with club statutes in order to seek re-election.
Laporta described the election as a “celebration of democracy and civic responsibility” and said the tasks ahead included finishing work on the Camp Nou and strengthening the men’s team.
-Reuters
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