Ronald Koeman fired: Barcelona Sacked Head Coach after Rayo Vallecano 1-0 defeat

Ronald Koeman was fired as FC Barcelona head coach following the team's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday night. The result left Barcelona in the 9th spot on the Laliga points table and six points behind league leaders Real Madrid. Ronald Koeman sacking from the position of Barcelona Head Coach comes after being 14 months in charge of the team.

Ronald Koeman Fired

Barcelona released a statement after Ronald Koeman was sacked stating that the president of the Barcelona club, Joan Laporta, informed him of the decision after the defeat against Rayo Vallecano. The release further stated that Ronald Koeman will say goodbye to the squad on Thursday at the Ciutat Esportiva. Barcelona thanked the coach for his service to the Club and wishes him all the best in his professional career.

Before the news about Ronald Koeman being sacked came out after the ex-Barcelona coach in his final interview post Rayo Vallecano defeat said, "I don't know if my future is in danger. We have players with goals in them. [Sergio] Aguero, [Memphis] Depay. It was difficult for us to get into the game, they put a lot of pressure on us. We've been superior. The result isn't fair, but it's there and we can't change it. The game we lost today isn't a problem of attitude or play. The team's level has dropped. We've lost very effective players, which also counts."

Ronal Koeman Sacked: A look back at his time at the club

Ronald Koeman was appointed as Barcelona head coach in August last year by former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and in his first season led Barcelona to third place in La Liga and also won the Copa del Rey. The new season started on the wrong foot with Lionel Messi leaving the club as a free agent to join Paris Saint-Germain with financial issues leaving Barcelona unable to afford his wages.

Ronald Koeman has endured a tough start to the new season which saw his team losing to Benfica 3-0 in the Champions League. The Champions League defeat was followed by 2-0 away loss to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on October 2, with former forward Luis Suarez scoring the second goal at the Metropolitano Stadium. Ronaldo Koeman El Classico record wasn't impressive either with the Dutch coach losing his third El Clasico a couple of days back with Real Madrid emerging winners mounting more pressure on him.

Following the El Clasico defeat a video emerged of Ronald Koeman's car being surrounded by fans as he drove away from the Nou Camp. In response to the video, Barcelona released a statement on their official Twitter account which read: "Barcelona publicly condemn the violent and disdainful acts that our manager experienced when leaving the Nou Camp. "The club will take security and disciplinary measures so that such unfortunate events do not happen again." The defeat to Rayo Vallacoiona was the final nail in the coffin leading to Ronal Koeman being fired by Barcelona.