"Told me thousand times Xavi would not be his coach" - Ronald Koeman opens up on rocky relationship with Barcelona president Joan Laporta

Former Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has claimed club president Joan Laporta told him that current Blaugrana boss Xavi won't become manager.

Koeman was replaced as Barcelona manager by Xavi in November, having spent just over a year at the Nou Camp.

The 58-year-old Dutchman, who as a Barca player racked up 262 appearances, experienced an ill-fated time in charge at the Catalan giants. His stint in charge saw him oversee of 39 wins, 12 draws and 16 defeats. His 58% win percentage in all competitions is the lowest for a Barca manager in history.

The former Everton manager left the club with the side sitting in ninth position in La Liga, putting on some woeful displays on the pitch.

But Koeman has shed light on his time in charge. He told Dutch newspaper 'Algemeen Dagblad' (via Mundo Deportivo):

"They (Barcelona) did not give me the time they have given to the new coach, Xavi. I still find it painful. I was working with a lot of injured. Now Pedri is back in shape, and Ousmane Dembélé... You can see everything. Every coach needs time and patience on the part of the board."

He continued:

"Then you wonder if something else wasn't going on. Why did Messi have to leave? I wasn't Laporta's coach. I had that feeling from the first moment, after the elections there was no click. That necessary support from above was missing. (H)e had told me a thousand times that Xavi would not be his coach, because he lacked experience. But I needed a shield, someone to hide behind."

Was Koeman deserving of more time at Barcelona?

Xavi has taken Barca from ninth to fourth in La Liga.

Koeman's time in charge of the Blaugrana will go down as a complete failure. The period saw the Catalan giants struggle both in the league and in Europe.

The 26-time La Liga winners fell precariously down the league following the departure of Lionel Messi last summer. Their performances were a display of a side lacking in confidence.

The side began to slip out of the UEFA Champions League. They eventually failed to make it to the knockout stages just as Xavi had taken over from Koeman. It was the first time the Catalan giants hadn't made it through the group stage since the 2000-2001 season.

The signs were there that Koeman and Barcelona just weren't clicking.

For the Dutchman to assert that Xavi has been given more time is somewhat odd. Koeman had a year over the former Spanish midfielder to date.