“Told him to fire me if he didn’t want me” - Ronald Koeman reveals conversation with Barcelona president

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has finally opened up on his relationship with club president Joan Laporta. The Barcelona boss stated that despite having a good relationship with Laporta, the club president still has doubts over his managerial abilities.

Ronald Koeman (as quoted by MARCA) said he is not happy with the uncertainty surrounding his Barcelona future. The former Holland boss wants clarity or else would be happy to see himself sacked. Koeman said:

"We had always gotten along well, then the president tells me that he still has doubts and that he needs more time to look for other coaching options."

"The president is the president and he is there to make decisions, I told him to tell me that I wasn't good enough to coach the team so we could end the story right there," he said.

"I told him to fire me if he didn't want me, but don't leave me with this uncertainty telling me you were going to go out and look for other options," added the Barcelona manager.

Ronald Koeman's agent Rob Jansen has added fuel to the fire by suggesting Joan Laporta wanted a new manager at Barcelona but was told to keep Koeman by people around him. Jansen said:

"Laporta said that he needed two or three weeks to find a new coach. It was a crazy decision, based on nothing, based on only his [Laporta's] feelings. I didn't speak to Laporta again, but fortunately the people around him contributed to Koeman staying."

---

Ronald Koeman is under fire following Barcelona's defeat in the Champions League

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman is once under pressure following a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the opening round of the Champions League group stage.

Barcelona had a mere 5 shots in the game, while Bayern Munich had 17 with 7 being on target. The German champions completely dominated proceedings at the Nou Camp.

Ronald Koeman did not have the best first season at Barcelona. The former Everton manager had a disappointing La Liga campaign last season, finishing behind both rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. However, a triumph in the Copa Del Rey helped him keep his job.

It is worth noting that both Barcelona and Ronald Koeman are in a difficult situation at the moment. The Catalan giants are in a rebuilding phase after Lionel Messi left to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. The club are also in the midst of a financial crisis which has hampered Ronald Koeman into getting the players he wants.

---