Barcelona appointed Ronald Koeman as their new manager following the sacking of Quique Setien after the loss against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. But the Dutchman has very little time to make a lasting impression before a new president arrives in early 2021. This will be the 57-year-old’s toughest test in his managerial career yet as he has taken a rebuilding job at a club which demands immediate success.

For the past few years, Barcelona have been a mess both on and off the field as incapable management has seen the club become a shadow of their former selves. In recent years, the Catalan side have been underperforming as a team, heavily relying on Lionel Messi’s brilliance to get them through tough situations but this time, they were completely exposed and humiliated on club football’s grandest stage.

Following that defeat, Barcelona hierarchy decided a change was necessary and despite several fans demanding President Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation, Quique Setien and sporting director Eric Abidal were sacked instead. But to some relief of Bartomeu’s doubters, presidential elections were brought forward to March 2021, which means that the Catalans will have a new man in charge of the club from next year onwards.

The sight of a new man at the top will surely uplift several Barcelona supporters but it puts added pressure on new their new manager. Ronald Koeman signed a contract until June 30, 2022, but arrives at a club that has no structure, ageing players and a captain who wants to leave. This will be a lot for the Dutchman to sort out before the new president takes charge.

However, Koeman could be the man who leads the Catalan club out of this slump as with Barcelona craving for Champions League glory, it was the Dutchman who first brought it to them, scoring the only goal against Sampdoria in the 1992 European Cup final as a part of Johan Cruyff’s all-conquering ‘Dream Team’

But immediate success at Barcelona with the current crop of players is highly unlikely leaving the desperate need for a rebuild. But it will take time and the new president might have ideas different to the Dutchman, which could possibly see him being relieved of his duties. So this leaves, Koeman hardly any time to make a lasting impact if he wants to be at the club for the foreseeable future.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2020 09:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).