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Roberto Martinez – frontrunner to replace Ronald Koeman

SEVILLE, SPAIN – JUNE 27: Roberto Martinez, Head Coach of Belgium reacts during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Round of 16 match between Belgium and Portugal at Estadio La Cartuja on June 27, 2021 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

Reliable reports in Catalunya suggest that Roberto Martinez is the Barça board’s favourite to replace current coach Ronald Koeman.

Koeman is reportedly walking on thin ice after the team’s recent poor results. The team only managing a 1-1 draw at home to Granada seems to have set off the Barcelona board’s work of finding a new head coach.

If the team’s results doesn’t drastically improve, it seems inevitable that head coach Ronald Koeman will be fired after less than 14 months in charge. The question is who will manage the team after him. SPORT’s reliable
Toni Juanmartí says Barcelona have narrowed it down to two candidates; Xavi Hernandez and current Belgium coach Roberto Martinez.

SPORT also say that Roberto Martinez, current Belgium national team coach, is prefered over Xavi by President Joan Laporta. The same publication also go on to say that parts of the board are sceptical and prefer the less experienced Xavi.

Should Barcelona decide to pull the trigger and try to get Roberto Martinez on the Camp Nou bench, his contract with the Belgian national team includes a release clause of 1.8 million euros, a fee the club would have no issue paying, according to SPORT’s Toni Juanmartí.