Barcelona president Joan Laporta has given the club’s under-fire boss Ronald Koeman a public vote of confidence ahead of a critical La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid.
The Catalan giants slumped to a three-goal defeat at Benfica in Lisbon on Wednesday night to leave them pointless after their two opening Champions League games.
That has amplified the pressure on Koeman following an underwhelming run of La Liga results which saw Barca stumble to draws against lowly Granada and Cadiz.
There is now significant pressure on the Catalan giants to make a change to their management with their positions in the Champions League and in a league title race becoming complicated.
After the heavy defeat in Portugal, the club’s veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets admitted that the situation at Barcelona is “critical” and claimed “the easiest thing” would be to sack Koeman.
Busquets had added that everyone at the club needed to take ‘responsibilities’ for the situation the side had found themselves in, but the comments would only have added fuel to the fire.
The holding midfielder told Spanish TV: "The easiest thing is to sack Koeman but we all have responsibilities. We are in a critical situation, really.”
Koeman said in the aftermath of that damaging defeat that he felt the support of the players at the club but refused to add if he felt the same from the club.
The Dutch boss added: "I am not going to discuss the level of this team. Everyone knows what Barça's problem is today. It is not possible to comment on a team that is not the one of past years. For me it is clearer than water.
"I can only comment on my work with the team. I feel supported by my players and their attitude. I don't know about the rest. I don't know about the club."
Koeman and Laporta have endured a frosty relationship; the Dutchman was appointed by the president’s predecessor Josep Maria Bartomeu last summer and a change in coaching direction was suggested.
Indeed, Laporta claimed at the end of last season - when Barca finished in a disappointing third place and exited the Champions League at the Round of 16 stage - that the club would seek a replacement for Koeman but were content to continue with the current boss if none could be found.
It has been suggested that sacking Koeman would cost £10million and the lack of available alternatives who would be willing to take the position have kept the Dutchman in his post.
Ahead of this weekend’s clash against Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, Laporta gave his public backing to Koeman despite reports that the club have already decided to replace him.
Laporta confirmed on Saturday: “Koeman will stay, today I have 100 percent confidence on him.
“He will continue to be the coach regardless of the result (of the game against Atletico Madrid).
“After a period of rethinking, I believe that he deserves a margin of confidence; he is a Barcelona legend.
“I appreciate how he has accepted to coach the club in these difficult times.”
