Henrik Larsson’s decision making was rarely called into question a player. In a trophy laden career, you could point to only one move that went against an upward trajectory. His decision to rectify that and head for Celtic would ultimately lead to a Champions League winner’s medal.

The move that didn’t quite work out resulted in the Swedish legend’s move from Feyenoord to Celtic that kick started the switch from good player to internationally renowned legend of the game. Larsson scored 242 goals for Celtic in 315 matches, and his performances saw fans nickname him The King of Kings. He still had time to fit in spells with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona even after his peak years were served at Celtic Park, so it’s safe to say the decision making and timing Larsson exhibited on the pitch transferred perfectly to the decisions off it.

05/06 Henrik Larsson vs Arsenal – Champions League Final(All Touches and Actions) from Sjor Bepo on Vimeo.

After hanging up his boots – concluding his playing career with boyhood club Helsingborgs – the move into management hasn’t been so smooth and the decision-making skills that the Celtic legend practiced on the field of play appear to have deserted him somewhat. That is, you’d assume he turned up as Ronald Koeman’s assistant at Barcelona.

Since taking his first steps in management, back home in Sweden ten years ago, Larsson’s managerial career has been unspectacular.

You’d have believed the original decision to cut his teeth with lowly Landskrona would have been part of a plan to learn the ropes before heading for some more international globetrotting, as he spread his managerial wings and flew the Swedish nest. Yet until his second spell as Helsingborgs manager ended Larsson has spent his coaching career exclusively in his home country. Until now that is.

After nearly three years with Landskrona Larsson averaged 1.43 points per game in a spell that saw Henrik collect 37 wins, 35 losses and 19 drawn matches.

He left his role in December 2012 and made the decision to return to football in March 2013, this time as an assistant rather than manager with Hogaborg. It was a short-term gig as Larsson left that December before returning to the hotseast with Falkenberg in January 2014. There Henrik lasted 12 months in the job, overseeing a far from inspiring record of 9 wins, 6 draws and 16 defeats with a points per game average of 1.06.

This wasn’t enough to dissuade his boyhood club Helsingborgs from thinking his status at the club could inspire their next generation of players and Larsson headed for his home club in January 2015 where he managed the side for 72 games, of whch 24 were won, 13 drawn and 35 that ended in defeat.

Larsson left his role in November 2016 – after he and his son were confronted by angry fans following Helsingorgs relegation from the top flight- and it was two years before he returned to the game, this time in a brief role as an advisor to Angelholm, before returning to management- briefly – to return to Helsingborgs in June 2019, where his record read two wins from nine games with five defeats, two draws and a points per game average of 0.89. After only two months Larsson left in August 2019.

Since then Larsson’ has made it clear his intention was to coach abroad and in the absence of offers to manage at the top level has looked into a consortium looking to buy into football and have Larsson head up the coaching side of things.

Initially that looked as if Southend United may be the destination and alongside former teammate Tommy Johnson it looked a done deal until Johnston got a better offer and it’s fair to say disappointed the Swede who believed they had a gentlemen’s agreement in place. Southend weren’t willing to go ahead without Johnson, who has made a name for himself as a man with the finger on the pulse in the English lower league recruitment scene and that particular plan ended in acrimony.

You’d assume then that Larsson’s luck had turned full circle and being offered the assistant’s job at Barcelona would be the dreams come true for Larsson and perhaps that those decision-making skills were at last looking back in focus, but scratch the surface and it could well be that Larsson’s timing may be a little out.

Ronald Koeman has taken on the managerial job at Barcelona on the back of an ignominious Champions League exit for the Catalan club at the hands of Bayern Munich. Barcelona have been in a gradual decline for a couple of years now. They have become a cheque book club rather than one who complemented their famed La Masia Academy graduates with the odd purchase or two and now appear a club all at sea.

There has been the recent Lionel Messi attempted divorce – with the near break up played out in public and in all likelihood only delayed until next summer – and on top of that the man who employed Koeman to replace Quique Setien – punted alongside sporting director Eric Abidal following the embarrassing Bayern defeat – President Josep Maria Bartomeu’s jacket is on the Catalan equivalent of a shoogly peg.

If there is a more political club in football than Barcelona, I’ve yet to see it, much of Catalan politics is run through Barcelona. They are very much “Més que un club” and the saying goes a successful Barcelona makes for a content Cataluña. If that’s the case the region must be in a state of heightened anxiety at the moment. And stepping into the breech, chaos, political storm and with a squad requiring a complete overhaul alongside a crippling wage bill steps Ronald Koeman with Henrik Larsson by his side. No mean feat.

Even if Koeman and Larsson were to be successful they may not last beyond March next year. The presence of a former player hangs over the management team from day one. The man the ‘Socios’ would prefer and the man who wants the managerial role is the legendary former player Xavi. He was approached and declined the offer. It’s not that Xavi doesn’t want the job; he just doesn’t want it now and doesn’t wish to work under the current president.

However presidential rival Victor Font will take on Bartomeu in the next round of elections next year. Font has made no secret that his first job would be to appoint Xavi as Head Coach and it won’t matter who is in place at the time. What’s more Xavi it would appear is more open to taking on the role if Font is elected president.

Font isn’t the only one running for election on the Xavi ticket either. Larsson and Koeman may be about to find – by the time the election come round in March next year if they don’t get come around sooner – that they backed the wrong horse in being Josep Maria Bartomeu’s chosen team.

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