Hardly surprising then that Xavi is keeping his distance and his powder dry as guilt by association is not a good look starting out as a coach at Barcelona. In the last few days, the political machinations of Barcelona as a football club have come into even sharper focus with Bartomeu and Barcelona’s board being accused of corruption by the Catalan police force.
Bartomeu is accused of making personal financial gains and involves Barcelona’s hiring of social media consultancy I3 Ventures. It has been alleged Barcelona paid up to 600 per cent above the going rate for the services of I3 Ventures, who were employed to monitor Barcelona’s social media, including using it to discredit and undermine former players and employees of the club who may have been less than complimentary of the current board. It is alleged I3 Ventures were linked to a series of social media accounts that ran negative stories about club figures who were in potential opposition to president Josep Bartomeu.
It may then be that Bartomeu will find the pressure to stand down prior to next year’s elections too much to ignore. With the vast majority of potential replacements all lobbying for position and most dangling Xavi as the managerial ticket, it would be hard to see Larsson and Koeman lasting a full season, it could end in March and if Bartomeu stands aside earlier, it may even be this year.
If nothing else however Koeman and Larsson will have to use the next few weeks to ship out expensive players such as Luis Suarez and find replacements on less wages and lesser transfer fees than the club have done in the recent past. All the while promoting from within and rebuilding shattered confidence.
That will also have to be managed with a talisman who remains at the club simply because he didn’t wish to take the club to court in order to trigger his perceived entitlement to a free transfer. I’m not sure then that Messi will be as influential on the pitch for Koeman and Larsson, than he was for their managerial predecessors. Time will tell on that one.
So, at some point over the next few months it may well be that Henrik Larsson will be on the move again, this time with invaluable experience as to how politics mixes with football at the top level. Add to that the lessons he will learn from Koeman and the coaching system at Barcelona. Despite joining Barcelona at one of the most tempestuous times in their recent history he may well come out all the richer for his experiences – and not just financially.
Larsson’s decision making went north the moment he chose to invoke his release clause as a player with Feyenoord and head for Celtic Park. His playing career reached the very top. And you know sometimes personalities and clubs are just a good fit.
Perhaps when all is done with Barcelona – and Larsson has dusted himself down – there could be a return to Celtic on the horizon? He may not have the greatest of managerial records, certainly not enough to warrant a Head Coach or manager’s role at Celtic now. Yet in a coaching team at Celtic weighted heavily towards the defensive with Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and now Gavin Strachan, there’s a lack of attacking knowledge in the current structure, especially since Damien Duff returned home to Ireland.
By this time next year, the Ten-in-Row pressures will have subsided. There is likely to be some sort of reset at Celtic Park. Perhaps then Larsson’s decision making – questionable as it has been in his managerial choices – may be well served by returning home and teaching Celtic’s attackers of the future the way to goal. And from there who knows?
After Barcelona, dealing with Peter Lawwell and the Celtic board is likely to be a minefield easily navigated. It might just end up the perfect fit once more, and easy decision to make.
Niall J
Also on The Celtic Star from our extract series from Walfrid & The Bould Bhoys…David Meikleham: Shoemaker, a Celtic Founding Father and kidnapper of The Duke
And then this one…Sandy McMahon: The one and only ‘Duke’ led the way for Jimmy Quinn, Jimmy McGrory and Henrik Larsson
