Barcelona hire Sergi Barjuan as interim manager after Koeman's firing

By Emre Asikci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Barcelona on Thursday named Sergi Barjuan the senior team's interim manager just a day after the dismissal of his Dutch colleague Ronald Koeman.

"FC Barcelona hereby announces that Sergi Barjuan, the current coach of Barca B, shall be taking provisional charge of the technical management of the senior squad," the Spanish club said in a statement.

"His interim position as first team head coach shall end as soon as the club has hired full-time head coach to replace the dismissed Ronald Koeman," Barcelona added.

The 49-year-old was a Barcelona left back from 1993 to 2002. Before his promotion to the senior squad, Sergi had played for Barcelona's youth teams.

Then Sergi joined Atletico Madrid for a three-year stint.

In 2005, he retired from playing the game.

Sergi is set to speak to the media on Friday to discuss Barcelona's next Spanish La Liga match against Alaves, and club President Joan Laporta will also appear.

Koeman, a legendary Barcelona player who was hired as manager in 2020, was dismissed after a 1-0 La Liga loss to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday.

Under the Dutch manager, Barca racked up 39 wins, 12 draws, and 16 losses in 67 matches.

This season Barcelona had an unsteady form in the domestic league that has annoyed fans.

Barcelona are now in the ninth spot in La Liga standings, with 15 points in 10 matches.

Their bitter rivals Real Madrid bagged 21 points to top the league.

On Oct. 24, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou Stadium in this season's El Clasico, which sped up Koeman's firing.