Ahead of the new season in Europe’s big leagues, clubs have changed the personnel at the helm of their affairs due to the disappointments of the previous season. European giants notably Barcelona and Juventus have hired their former players to kick start their quest to glory yet again and OLUWAMAYOMIKUN OREKOYA here looks at the raison d’etre of these appointments.
Barcelona officially announced Ronald Koeman as its new coach last month after a disastrous season which saw the Catalans trophy-less since the 2007/2008 season. The Dutchman – who remains a hero in Barcelona having scored the goal which won the club their first European Cup in 1992 – has returned to Catalonia at a decidedly difficult time in the club’s recent history, with Captain Lionel Messi still seemingly wanting out.
Under Quique Setien, Barcelona not only squandered the La Liga title to a rampant Real Madrid but was humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in Friday’s Champions League quarterfinal — the club’s worst-ever European loss, sparking an instant crisis.
The former Southampton and Everton boss has been showing his ruthless side already, having ordered the likes of Luis Suarez, Arturo Vidal and Samuel Umtiti to leave the club.
But Barcelona’s decision that Koeman is the man to lead them into a new era might prove to be a far more carefully considered decision than it seems at face value, but that’s giving too much credit to one of the worst-run clubs in 21st century football.
All signs suggest the Dutchman is not a good enough manager for the task at hand.
Superficially, it may seem like a good fit. He’s a respected figure at the club at which he won four league titles and a European Cup as a player. A student of Johan Cruyff, he also has the stylistic principles that are a key mandate for any manager at the Nou Camp.
Koeman is a perfectly defensible appointment, if not a particularly inspiring one. Koeman isn’t the hot young manager anymore. He’s a 57-year-old journeyman. One who has worked in Spain before, flaming out with Valencia in less than six months back in 2008. Lately, he’s had a solid spell with Southampton in the Premier League, and then an underwhelming one with Everton. His Dutch national team looked strong in his two years in charge, but then it also had a gifted generation emerge.
After being unveiled as Quique Setien’s head coach replacement, the Dutchman warned that Frenkie de Jong for one, and Antoine Griezmann for two, would be played in their proper positions moving forward.
Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, in one of his first interviews since taking over the reins, Koeman revealed that “the plan is to start playing with Frenkie de Jong in the position where he played for Ajax and he also plays for the national team”.
“I remember that I attended a Barcelona game and I saw him play in one position and I thought to myself: ‘I would never put him there,” added Koeman. “You have spent a lot of money on a young player,” Koeman went on. “[So] then you should play him in his own position, where he can deliver his best performance.”
Elsewhere in Spain, Javier Calleja was fired and Yellow Submarines named Unai Emery as Calleja’s successor, a decision that shocked many given Villareal’s good post-lockdown form and stability.
The former Arsenal man has quite a resume despite a mixed tenure in London. His stints with both Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain, however, have been crowned with silverware and good tactical nuances, especially in the case of the former team at which Emery accomplished admirable European success, clinching three Europa League titles in a row.
In Emery’s first press conference as Villarreal manager he outlined some of his hopes for the future of the team: “I don’t think about the end game, but I do dream…I dream of a title with Villarreal.”
Emery recognises the club’s resilience in overcoming obstacles over the past few years. He is on board to build upon the foundation that has been laid over the past 20 seasons of competition in La Liga. Recently, the agent of new Chelsea defender Thiago Silva branded Emery a ‘terrible coach’, saying that Paris Saint-Germain ‘lost two years’ following the manager’s underwhelming spell in France four years ago.
Emery won one league title with the French side but failed to progress beyond the last-16 in continental competition, famously capitulating against Barcelona despite possessing a 4-0 advantage heading into the second leg.
Emery left the Parc des Princes in 2018 before enduring a disappointing spell in English football as Arsenal manager and Paulo Tonietto, agent of former PSG captain Thiago Silva, has blasted the coach for his failure in managing the sport’s leading names.
“He’s a good coach to play in the Europa League, not the Champions League. The suit was too big for him. He was a terrible coach for PSG.
“If there had been a coach of another calibre during these two years, PSG would have already won the Champions League.”
In Italy, Andrea Pirlo was appointed as Maurizio Sarri’s successor last month and the legendary midfielder will set about trying to mastermind a 10th consecutive Scudetto with a clash against Sampdoria at Allianz Stadium on September 20.
Serie A success won’t be enough for the club’s gamble to be validated, given that it’s won nine straight domestic titles, and the last two have been followed by managers hitting the exit.
The Champions League success is the ultimate goal, and since Cristiano Ronaldo was acquired from Real Madrid two years ago to help Juventus return to Europe’s summit, its Champions League performances have ended in a quarterfinal exit under Massimiliano Allegri and a last-16 exit under Sarri.
To be clear, the legendary regista earned his coaching badges at Italy training centre Coverciano only in September 2018, and is yet to take charge of a competitive game since his certification. The seemingly bizarre decision to put Pirlo in place on the Juve first-team bench came soon after the former New York City FC midfielder had been appointed as U23 boss by Bianconeri owner Andrea Agnelli on June 30.
Juve have many problems that need fixing, from lowering the average age of the team to introducing a balanced midfield that will not only help transport the ball to the likes of Ronaldo, but alleviate the pressure on defence.
Juve’s forward line boasts excellence in Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, plus the young Dejan Kulusevski, who is set to arrive from Parma.
At the back they have one of the greatest young defenders in the world in Matthijs de Ligt, two veterans in Chiellini and Bonucci who should be teaching defence at Harvard – according to Jose Mourinho – and Merih Demiral, the pride of Turkey’s defence.
Where the problems arise are in the full-back positions and, most importantly, in midfield – Andrea Pirlo’s domain. This is where Juve needs his attention, his recommendations and his eye to coordinate.
However, the most important thing Pirlo needs to do is get his Juve to enjoy playing football again – this past season under Sarri has been long, tedious and overly difficult.
Still staying in Italy and with the Serie A, Fabio Liverani has had mixed fortunes in his footballing career both as a player and a manager.
The 44-year-old, who was the first black footballer to play for the Italian national team, was sacked by Lecce last month after the southerners crashed out of Serie A after one season.
He had guided Lecce to two successive promotions, but the club were relegated on the final day of last season after a 4–3 home loss to Parma.
Now the former Lazio and Fiorentina midfielder, who played three times for Italy, takes over the club that relegated his former side.
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