How the Joan Laporta vs Ronald Koeman civil war ends

Barcelona’s collapse is the consequence of multiple organ failure (financial, social and sporting). The open civil war between Laporta and Koeman is one of the manifestations. The relationship between the president and the coach seems now one of those marriages of convenience between parents just for the sake of the kids. Koeman and Laporta had two points of no return. The president taking time to decide the former’s future, and now Koeman’s recent vendetta against him in Dutch media. Off the record, the club said that they back the coach and they are waiting to see what he does with the full squad. But the reality is that we all know that Laporta doesn’t believe in Koeman and Koeman doesn’t trust Laporta.

One part of the team’s bland play against Bayern, lacking personality and depressing, has its origin in the fragility of the coach. The squad captures that perfectly. While the club proclaims its Cruyffismo, the play is almost unrecognisable. Words don’t marry deeds. The true question at the bottom of this dissonance is that the president and coach have not been able to work on a common idea about where the club is going after the sad goodbye to Lionel Messi and what the route to follow is in the coming years. Part of that is Koeman and Laporta knowing there is only one possible end. The former will be gone, likely sacked by the latter. The mystery is why Laporta gave him an extra year and why he considered renewing his contract two weeks ago.

MORE THAN A CLUB

One of the positive points is the kids and Alejandro Balde came on to make his debut at Camp Nou in the midst of the debacle. In the chaos he showed pace and talent. He showed another reason why La Masia must be the club’s lighthouse in the next years. The talent was blocked during the Lucho, Valverde, Setien years, but now they can start coming through.

LESS THAN A CLUB

Sergi Roberto is light years from his best form but it’s humiliating to have him whistled, curiously by fans who pardoned Coutinho minutes after. They can do what they want, but we can also give our opinion. The minimum that should be done is respecting the players that have shown they love the club.