Ronald Koeman to Sign 2-Year Deal & Barcelona Set Date for Presidential Elections

Ronald Koeman has been chosen as the next Barcelona manager and will be given a two-year contract, according to reports. Meanwhile, the club's much anticipated presidential elections won't be moved forward amid the fallout of a traumatic season.

Barcelona are set for a shake-up following their trophyless 2019/20 campaign, which ended with the humiliating 8-2 Champions League quarter-final exit to Bayern Munich last week.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu confirmed that manager Quique Setien would not continue as first-team coach after the Bayern game, with an official club statement coming on Monday. It is expected that sporting director Eric Abidal will also be dismissed.

Meanwhile, SPORT report that almost the entire playing squad (bar a couple of obvious exceptions) are up for sale this summer as Barça seek to generate funds for a desperate rebuild amid a precarious financial reality. There is also talk that Lionel Messi could even try to force an exit.

On the managerial front, it seems Koeman - formerly of Southampton and Everton and the current Netherlands coach - will take over on a two-year deal. The Dutchman was previously among the coaching staff at Camp Nou under Louis van Gaal in the 1990s and spent six seasons at Camp Nou as a player.

Multiple sources claim that the Barça club legend is the consensus choice among by the board of directors, ahead of other candidates including Mauricio Pochettino, and could be announced as early as Tuesday.

Koeman was famously among the candidates who turned down Barça in January before the appointment of Setien. However, as outlined by Guillem Balague, Koeman - who underwent heart surgery this year - no longer wants to wait on the 'dream' opportunity.

Journalist Marçal Lorente was among those to report that Koeman will be given a two-year deal. However, the second year will likely be at the mercy of a new president, with Bartomeu to hold elections in spring of 2021.

Following the Champions League defeat to Bayern, Gerard Pique called for 'structural change' at the club, which many took to be a (not very) veiled comment about the president and his board of directors.

There has been talk for months that several of Barcelona's 'sacred cows' in the dressing room, including Messi, have fundamental issues with Bartomeu over the leadership of the club, while AS report that many of the senior players want their former teammate Xavi Hernandez to come in as coach - a reality that won't happen under the current president.

There is even a suggestion that Messi's threat to leave could be a ploy to force Bartomeu's hand in triggering the elections.

Bartomeu - who landed the top job in 2014 and has overseen four La Liga titles but just one Champions League and a spend of €1bn on transfers - will not bow to pressure from fans or those within the club by resigning or bringing forward the elections, which will instead be held on 15 March 2021.

A statement on the club's website reads: "The Board understand that an immediate call for elections is not feasible, given that the league season will begin on the weekend of September 12, 2020, and the situation arising from the COVID-19 crisis - both economically and socially.

"Consequently, the club will continue to implement the plan to reverse the sporting and economic situation, based on profound changes to the first team, plus a redefined budget to deal with the new situation caused by COVID-19, before the end of the current mandate."

The news is unlikely to appease the baying fans.