Ronald Koeman's happiest and worst moment in first Barca year

Tomorrow it’s exactly a year since Ronald Koeman arrived at Barcelona. The Wembley legend saw it as a dream come true. He always dreamed to returning in this role. 

It seemed like Barca had escaped him but Josep Maria Bartomeu brought him in after the 8-2 thrashing in Lisbon.

Few coaches were willing to take the bull by the horns. He told Luis Suarez he had to leave, spoke to Leo Messi face to face to try and get him to stay after his Burofax, as well as Pique and Busquets. He started to build a team on the base of three pillars: meritocracy from training, performance in games, and commitment.

Koeman bet on Pedri from the word go, and Ansu Fati, until he was injured. They started in the Clasico but despite the defeat, Koeman kept them.

It was a tough start. They were 12 points behind Atletico, 9 behind Real, in their worst start in decades. Koeman was capable of recovering Coutinho and giving Confidence to Dembele.

He did not rant at his team but was serious when he needed to be. He achieved getting Messi to change his mind and stay. He liked the way Koeman worked.

The Dutch coach was one of the first to accept Tusquets’s differed wages scheme after Bartomeu was sacked, with the club in economic peril.

Bit by bit Barca turn things around. Forgetting the UCL elimination by PSG, they did well and won the Copa del Rey. They beat Athletic 4-0 in the final, Koeman’s best game yet, and revenge on a side that beat them in the Spanish Super Cup in January.

If that was the best moment, the worst followed in April when they lost against Granada at Camp Nou. Winning would have put the team top but they could not do it. The squad was depressed, the board unsure about Koeman. But despite the difficulties they kept him for another season. From now, it’s all to play for.