FC Barcelona and Ronald Koeman have reached an agreement for the Dutchman to take over as the first-team coach until 30 June 2022
The presentation and subsequent press conference for the new Barça coach will take place today from 6.00pm CEST at the Auditori 1899.
The Dutchman returns to the club where he spent six seasons between 1989 and 1995, this time as a coach.
Ronaldo Koeman returns home. The Dutchman, an FC Barcelona legend, is set to coach the team for the next two seasons. More than 30 years after his arrival as a player, Koeman arrives once again as coach at the club that he helped him win their very first European Cup back in 1992. Koeman, the hero of Wembley, is back.
Born in Zaandam in the Netherlands on 21 March 1963, 57 year-old Koeman becomes the fifth Dutchman to coach FC Barcelona after Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff, Louis Van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard.
The Dutchman came to Barça in 1989 after spells in Holland at FC Groningen, Ajax and PSV in which he claimed four Dutch league titles, two Dutch Cups and a European Cup. Furthermore, in 1988 he was part of the Netherlands team that was victorious in the European Championships. When he came to Barça he became the second most expensive signing in the Club’s history behind Diego Maradona.
In his six seasons as a Barça player Koeman made 264 official appearances, scoring 88 goals, many of them from his trade mark free kicks on his way to becoming the highest scoring defender in the Club’s history. Koeman claimed 10 trophies in his time as a blaugrana: four La Liga titles, a European Cup, a Copa del Rey, a European Super Cup and three Spanish Super Cups.
Apart from his goals and trophies, Koeman is most remembered by Barça fans for the Wembley final in 1992. The Dutchman was the scorer of the only goal of the game, his extra time winner giving the blaugranes a 1-0 victory over Sampdoria handed the Club their first ever victory in the European Cup and secured his place in FC Barcelona history.