5 potential replacements for Ronald Koeman at Barcelona

Andrea Pirlo

Barcelona has tried a tactic by bringing in their own legend; however, this time they could try to bring a young legend from a different club. Andrea Pirlo, one of the biggest legends of Italian football recently faced the brutal nature of the football managing world. Even when the managers are not at fault, they have to face the media and accept responsibility. Managers are also the first to be targeted by the club when the team is not performing well. Teams like Juventus, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, etc, have seen a lot of managerial changes as they want only the best of the best. Unfortunately for Pirlo, he joined the Juve team after only having managed the Juventus C team.

This huge jump in class and environment was a change too sudden for Pirlo. Even though he managed to get two titles in his first season and keep a points tally of 2.15 per game, he was unable to defend the Serie A trophy and their journey in the UEFA Champions League was dismal as well. This caused him to be sacked by the club at the end of the season. He is currently without a club but Laporta has been keen on bringing ​him to the club.

Pirlo had shown signs of brilliance with the Juve side last season although his style of play was too inconsistent. In his 30-page coaching thesis, Pirlo wrote that he wanted to see total football. Purposeful, possessive, and attacking football is what he desires and that is perfect for the Catalans. He also listed Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Carlo Ancelloti and Louis Van Haal as his inspiration and he certainly showed some signs of their influence last season. However, he is still unproven at the European level, and thus he should not be the first choice for Laporta. He needs more experience before he can coach a team like Barcelona.