Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly already has a candidate in mind to become the club’s next manager.
Laporta has apparently set his mind Bayern Munich’s Hansi Flick as his first choice to replace Ronald Koeman if the Dutchman has to leave Camp Nou, according to latest reports. The Dutchman is stewing uncomfortably under pressure with Barca having won just one of their last five La Liga matches. A draw with Levante and then defeat at home to Celta Vigo ended all last minute hopes of league title success for the Nou Camp club.
As it is, Barca can finish the season no higher than third and could even drop to fourth if they lose to Eibar in this weekend’s final encounter.
Koeman also saw his side crash out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage in February when Paris Saint-Germain won the tie 5-2 on aggregate after winning the first leg 4-1 at the Nou Camp.
It now appears the former Barca’s popular defender’s days may be numbered if the emerging reports from Spain are to hold water as Spanish radio station RAC1 says Barca president Laporta has already spoken to Bayern Munich boss Flick with regard to becoming the club’s next manager.
The report says Laporta found Flick ‘receptive’ and apparently likes the ‘methodology and the intensity’ he would bring to the Barca squad.
Flick has an agreement to become the next Germany manager after Joachim Low exits as national team boss after this summer’s European Championships, although RAC1 claims Flick has yet to sign anything to commit himself to that job.
Flick will leave his role as Bayern manager at the end of this season with the 56-year-old having won Bundesliga honors in both his campaigns in charge at the Allianz Arena.
The German national also masterminded last season’s Champions League triumph, where Bayern humiliated a clearly-outclassed Barcelona and followed up with a victory over PSG 1-0 in the final, thanks to a Kingsley Coman goal.