How much will Barcelona pay to fire Ronald Koeman?

Barcelona's defeat against Rayo Vallecano marked the end of Ronald Koeman's tenure as first team manager.

The azulgrana president, Joan Laporta, had long lost confidence in the Dutchman, but the cost of terminating his contract had tied his hands given the club's much-publicised financial difficulties. A loss in the south east of Madrid was, however, a setback that made the situation untenable. And according to Spanish national newspaper El País, the price of sacking the coach amounts to 12 million euros.

Barça news:

Koeman's €12 million payout

When Laporta arrived in the summer, he had hoped the team - despite losing their talisman Lionel Messi - could put in some strong performances and pick up positive results, which would help generate revenue through sponsorship agreements. That in turn could be used to strengthen the side when the January transfer window opened.

However, the team's poor run of form has not helped the club's depleted coffers. The only possible solution at the moment is to hope that injured players recover quickly and the team's overall level improves.

Laporta has issued several videos trying to calm the fans' fears in recent weeks. However, the loss in Vallecas was the final straw. A little more than three hours after the end of the match against Rayo, the club announced the dismissal of Koeman, who will receive this very sizaeable severance payment.