Barcelona: Koeman leads list of candidates to replace Setién
Mauricio Pochettino had been seen as the favourite to take over at the Camp Nou, but with opposition to him, the Dutchman and former star is believed to be appointed.
The board of directors at FC Barcelona will meet tomorrow to officially confirm, among other things, the end of Quique Setién's reign at the helm. The name of his successor must be announced urgently for the simple, practical reason that the season begins once again in just three weeks, and former star Ronald Koeman is the most prominent candidate to take over for what is Josep Bartomeu's last term as president.
Koeman favourite for Barcelona manager
The option of appointing the former Barcelona player is the one that seems more likely than that of Mauricio Pochettino, who was being cited as the favourite on Friday. He was actually on the verge of coming into the Camp Nou back in January when Ernesto Valverde was fired and no agreement was reached with another former son, Xavi Hernández. Then Setién was named.
Pochettino maintains a very good relationship with sporting director Ramon Planes, with whom he already worked with at Catalan rivals Espanyol. However, his past in Spain, and his statements against Barcelona have gone against his candidacy, with opinions split at the club. This suggests that Koeman will be the chosen name, although there are also members of the board who believe that as it is a year of transition before the elections, Barça B coach García Pimienta should be installed on a temporary basis.